Why Was the 1904 Olympic Marathon So Controversial?

💡 The Answer

• The race was run on dusty, car-filled roads with poor water supplies.
• Thomas Hicks was given strychnine-laced brandy and egg whites multiple times.
• He collapsed just after the finish line and nearly died from the cocktail.
• The actual winner, Fred Lorz, hitched a ride for 11 miles and was initially hailed.
• Lorz later admitted the joke and Hicks was declared the official winner.