Today I Learned (TIL)

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TIL The first man to finish the 1904 Olympic marathon rode in a car half the race. The actual winner had to be carried across the finish line after his coaches gave him a mix of brandy, eggs (...) (en.wikipedia.org)

submitted 10 months ago by Blaze@discuss.tchncs.de to c/til@lemmy.ca

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[–] Revan343@lemmy.ca 39 points 10 months ago (1 children)

why the fuck did they give him strychnine

Per wikipedia, "Strychnine was popularly used as an athletic performance enhancer and recreational stimulant in the late 19th century and early 20th century, due to its convulsant effects."

[–] replicat@lemmy.world 12 points 10 months ago

You know times were tough when people were convulsing recreationally.