# DECEPTION: The Worst Race Ever Run: The Olympic Marathon of 1904

An episode of [Crimes Of Reddit with Sabrina Deana-Roga & Alexis Linkletter](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1838511303), 21 Apr 2026, 51 min.

Audio: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/serve.castfire.com/audio/8240277/8240277_2026-04-14-020517.256.mp3?rssID=5998

The Olympic Marathon at the 1904 St. Louis Games was supposed to be a showcase of human endurance. Instead, it became one of the strangest, most chaotic sporting events in recorded history. Competitors ran in ninety-degree heat through clouds of dust kicked up by the officials' cars. One runner was chased off course by a dog. Another was unknowingly given strychnine by his coach. The first man to cross the finish line was disqualified. A man who had stopped to eat apples in an orchard nearly won. We unpack the glorious disaster of a race that tells you everything about the early Olympics — and almost nothing about athletic achievement. Head over to our Crimes Of… YouTube channel to WATCH this episode: https://www.youtube.com/@crimehousestudios If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Crimes Of… to never miss a case! For Ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. Crimes Of… is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios 🎧 Need More to Binge? Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Serial Killers & Murderous Minds, Crime House 24/7, Murder True Crime Stories, and more wherever you get your podcasts! Follow us on Social • YouTube: @crimehousestudios • Instagram: @Crimehouse • TikTok: @Crimehouse • Facebook: @crimehousestudios • X: @crimehousemedia Crimes Of… is hosted by Sabrina Deana-Roga and Corinne Vien • Instagram: @sabbertoothtiger | @corinnevien

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