Emily Chan
In the entire history of the Olympics, the most bizarre occurrence has to be during America’s first games, which were held in St. Louis in 1904. That year, the games were tied to the World Fair, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase.
The fair offered its own sporting events, drawing attention away from the actual games. For instance, the purpose of the Olympics’ marathon was to honor Greek heritage and connect the ancient to the modern. But the 1904 marathon was more silly than serious, in keeping with the fair’s carnival-like atmosphere.
A few of the runners who participated in the 1904 marathon were recognized athletes who had previously run in the Boston Marathon or other Olympic marathons. However, the majority of the field consisted of middle-distance runners and novices who had never competed in a marathon before.
One of the runners was named Fred Lorz, an American who worked as a bricklayer. He trained at night and earned his spot in the Olympics after running in a five-mile race sponsored by the Amateur Athletic Union.
There were also two men from the Tswana tribe of South Africa, Len Taunyane and Jan Mashiani. They were in St. Louis for the World Fair and were the first black Africans to compete in the modern Olympics.
Another runner was Félix Carvajal, a former mailman from Cuba. He raised enough money to come to the United States by showing off his running skills throughout Cuba. Once he got to New Orleans, he was said to have gambled away all his money and had to hitchhike to St. Louis.
He arrived at the starting line dressed in a white, long-sleeved shirt, long trousers, a beret, and walking shoes. A fellow competitor took pity on him and cut off his pants at the knee to make it easier for him to run.
The race began on August 30 at 3:03 p.m. Temperatures reached the low 90s, and the unpaved 24.85-mile course threw up dust clouds into the humid air, which made it even more difficult for the athletes to breathe.
The course had seven hills, some of which were incredibly steep. The men had to watch out for cracks in the road, traffic, trolley cars, delivery wagons, railroad trains, and people walking their dogs.
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