The Craziest Olympic Marathon Ever: The Insane 1904 St. Louis Disaster | IDKR Episode 183

This week on the I Don’t Know Running Podcast, Lewis and Mitch dive into one of the wildest, most chaotic, and downright unbelievable events in running history: the 1904 St. Louis Olympic Marathon.

But first… Lewis got NEW CONTACTS and he’s telling literally everyone. 😂
Mitch tries to keep him on track (he fails), but eventually they shift gears into the true highlight of this episode: a marathon so outrageous it sounds fictional.

🔥 Inside This Episode:

Why starting a marathon at 3:00 PM in August is a horrible idea

Runners inhaling so much dust they nearly died

Wagons, dogs, cars, trains… and NOT a closed course

The Cuban runner who arrived in street clothes, ate rotten apples, took a nap, and STILL finished 4th

The man who hitched a car ride, jogged into the stadium, and almost won

The REAL champion… fueled by brandy, egg whites, and rat poison (!!!)

Only 14 of 32 runners finished — the worst completion rate in Olympic history

Why this marathon changed the sport forever

🎧 If you love running lore, bizarre history, or just wild stories — this episode is a must-listen.

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Thanks for tuning in!
See you next week as we keep exploring the iconic, historic (and sometimes ridiculous) world of running.
Happy running! 🏃‍♂️💨

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