Thomas Hicks

Popular Science revisits the notorious 1904 St. Louis Olympics marathon, where American runner Thomas Hicks was given strychnine, then a common rat poison, mixed with brandy by his handlers to boost his performance. He staggered to gold in brutal heat, aided also by a ride part of the way by rival runners. The story highlights how rudimentary early doping and race conditions were at the dawn of the modern Olympics.

At the 1904 St. Louis Olympics, marathon runner Thomas Hicks was given strychnine, then used as a rat poison, mixed with brandy by his support team to help him claim gold. The dangerous stimulant left him barely able to finish, highlighting how crude doping practices were in early Olympic sport. The story is being recirculated as a striking example of the era's reckless approach to athletic performance.