logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2024
40m 33s

Famous Dumpster Fires in History: The 19...

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

The 1904 St. Louis Olympics featured the strangest sporting event in history. During the marathon, runners paused for naps, got chased by dogs, went apple picking, and doped with rat poison — all while being unwitting participants in a cruel scientific experiment.

*

Thanks for listening! Our next episode comes out Wednesday, June 26th.

*

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason English
Written by Lucas Reilly
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design: Emily Marinoff
Mixing and Mastering: Baheed Frazier
Story Editor: Marisa Brown
Research and Fact-Checking: Austin Thompson and Lucas Reilly
Medal-Worthy Voice-Acting: Karl Keadle and Josh Fisher
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer: Jason English

Want to email the show? Go for it. You can reach us at veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Aug 19
The Case of the Missing Novelist [Re-Release]
Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time. But her biggest mystery unfolded outside the pages of her books. In this episode, Dana examines the 11 days in 1926 when the beloved author went missing, and the rollicking media circus inspired by her disappearance. Hoste ... Show More
38m 56s
Aug 6
Nicolas Cage, Y2K, and History's Most Unlikely Art Heist
After a party at Nicolas Cage’s Bel-Air mansion, one of the rarest comic books on Earth disappeared. Action Comics #1 — the comic that introduced Superman — is worth millions of dollars. With almost no evidence and a suspect list that includes employees and celebrity guests alike ... Show More
49m 21s
Jul 29
North by North Korea [Re-Release]
When two of the most influential figures in film become the personal hostages of Kim Jong Il, they have two objectives: to elevate North Korean cinema on the world stage, and to plot their daring escape. * We're hard at work on our next season of new VSEs. If you've already heard ... Show More
1h 7m
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2022
The 1904 St. Louis Marathon Was Absolutely Bonkers
It's no secret that the Olympics have evolved over time, and met with their fair share of controversy over the years -- but the 1904 Olympic marathon remains a tale of ridiculousness for the ages. In today's episode, Ben and Max dive into a madcap series of bizarre events, brazen ... Show More
59m 24s
Aug 2024
The Strange Story of the 1904 Olympic Marathon
The Olympic marathon of 1904 is an incredible story filled with wacky characters, cheating, heat and humidity, dust and dirt, and oh yeah, a few actual qualified athletes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
40m 10s
Jul 2023
1904 Olympic Marathon
<p>In 1904, the U.S. hosted its first Olympics. It had a host of problems. But the event that was the most dangerous for athletes was the marathon.</p> <p><strong>Research:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Abbott, Karen. “The 1904 Olympic Marathon May Have Been the Strangest Ever.” Smithson ... Show More
39m 32s
Jul 2024
74: Human Experiments, Trafficked Athletes, and Poisoned Runners: America's First Olympics // Dark Summer Series
The 1904 Olympic Games were considered to be the darkest games in history. A mad scientist was able to run experiments on athletes while the games went on, runners were given poison to enhance their performance, and people were stolen from all over the world and forced to compete ... Show More
35m 21s
Jul 2024
The Infamous 1904 Olympics
From Typhoid to wild dogs, and alongside the events of the World's Fair… It’s the OLYMPICS! This week, your elegant hosts, Markiplier and Tyler Scheid, take you on a journey through the events of the disastrous 1904 Olympics. Cut your pants into shorts, hitchhike to St Louis, and ... Show More
51m 12s
Jul 2024
SYMHC Classics: 1900 Olympic Games
This 2012 episode from prior hosts Sarah and Deblina explains how the 1900 Paris Olympics are considered some of the strangest. Many of the events were so under-promoted, the athletes competing in them didn't know they were even in the Olympics.See omnystudio.com/listener for pri ... Show More
21m 41s
Aug 2021
The Fight for the First U.S. Olympics | Passing the Torch | 4
The 1904 St. Louis Olympics were marred by controversy and poorly organized events like the marathon. But at least they took place as scheduled. In 1916, after the outbreak of World War I, they were canceled entirely. A century later, in 2020, the Olympics faced another kind of t ... Show More
38m 44s
Jan 2025
CLASSIC: The 1904 Racist Summer Olympic Games in St. Louis
A few years after Baron Pierre de Coubertin revived the ancient sporting event known as the Olympics, he brought the games to the U.S. for the first time. The 1904 Summer Olympics were held in St. Louis, Missouri, coinciding with the 1904 World's Fair. Seems set to make history, ... Show More
33m 34s
Jul 2024
History of the Olympics
Journeying back in time, your elegant hosts travel to the ancient olympic games. From nakedness, unusual tools, to questioning the accuracy of the history told by your Master of Balls in holes, Tyler Scheid, Markiplier becomes entranced in it all. Especially the orgies for moral. ... Show More
55m 33s
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami