On one hot and humid afternoon, 32 runners lined up to race the 1904 Olympic marathon race on the dusty roads of St. Louis. With no access to water and vehicles kicking up dust into their lungs, the runners soon started dropping like flies. Some were chased by wild dogs, others stole fruit from spectators, and the most desperate ones resorted to taking rat poison as a performance enhancing drug. This is the story of the 1904 Olympic marathon.

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Sources and further reading: 

The 1904 Olympic Marathon May Have Been the Strangest Ever by Karen Abbot (Smithsonian Magazine): https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-1904-olympic-marathon-may-have-been-the-strangest-ever-14910747/ 

The Unbelievable True Story of the Craziest Olympic Marathon by Ashwin Rodrigues (Runner’s World): https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a37039437/1904-olympic-marathon/ 

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