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The 1904 Olympic marathon was run in searing heat on dust roads with one water stop. The first man home had ridden 18 km in a car; the actual winner was carried over the line, having been dosed with strychnine and brandy by his own trainers.

St Louis Olympics, 1904

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Why it matters

The idea in context

Of 32 starters, 14 finished. Fred Lorz was hailed the winner before officials learned he had hitched a lift when his legs gave out, then rejoined on foot. Thomas Hicks was given strychnine — a stimulant in tiny doses, a poison in larger ones — mixed with brandy and egg white, and finished barely conscious. A Cuban runner, Félix Carvajal, had lost his money gambling, ran in cut-off trousers and street shoes, and stopped to eat orchard apples that made him ill. He still came fourth.

Türkçe

Aynı kart, başka bir dilde.

1904 Olimpiyat maratonu, tek su durağıyla toz yollarda kavurucu sıcakta koşuldu. İlk gelen adam 18 km'yi arabayla gitmişti; gerçek kazanan ise kendi antrenörlerince striknin ve brendi verilmiş hâlde bitiş çizgisinden taşındı.
St. Louis Olimpiyatları, 1904

32 başlayandan 14'ü bitirdi. Fred Lorz, yetkililer bacakları tutmayınca araca bindiğini ve sonra yeniden yaya katıldığını öğrenmeden önce kazanan ilan edildi. Thomas Hicks'e — küçük dozda uyarıcı, büyük dozda zehir olan — striknin, brendi ve yumurta akıyla karıştırılıp verildi ve zar zor bilinçli hâlde bitirdi. Kübalı koşucu Félix Carvajal parasını kumarda kaybetmiş, kesik pantolon ve sokak ayakkabılarıyla koşmuş ve durup kendisini hasta eden bahçe elmaları yemişti. Yine de dördüncü oldu.

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Background reading: Athletics at the 1904 Summer Olympics – Men's marathonAttribution and context are revised when stronger evidence appears. Corrections are welcome through the editorial page.
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