At the 1904 Olympics, a marathoner took rat poison to win gold

When the gun blasted announcing the start of the 1904 Olympic marathon, 32 hopefuls bolted into action. However, the start was the only thing typical about the race. On a day of extreme heat and humidity, just 14 of the athletes were able to complete the hilly, dusty 24.85-mile course (26.2 miles only became standard in 1921). Aggressive dogs chased South Africa’s Len Taunyane, one of the first Black athletes to ever compete in the games, almost a mile off course. Cuban postman Felix