and dedication were Felix Carvajal's middle names when he decided to compete in the marathon for Cuba in the 1904 Olympic Games to be held in St. Louis, Mo. A postman from Havana, he managed to pay for his fare to the U.S. by begging money in Havana's public square. Unfortunately, when Carvajal arrived in New Orleans, he was fleeced by gamblers and ended up broke, still 1200 miles away from his destination. Since he couldn't afford to ride to St. Louis, he made up his mind to run there. Begging food along the way, Felix actually made it all the way to St. Louis just as the marathon was about to begin. He was going to run in his long pants and long-sleeved shirt and hiking shoes, but another athlete convinced him to cut off his sleeves and pant legs because of the 100 deg. heat. At the start of the race there were 31 runners. By the end of the grueling 26 mile course, only 14 men were still on their feet, Felix among them. He ran over 1226 miles , with very little nourishment, yet somehow still managed to finish the Olympic marathon in fourth place.In the same marathon race at the 1904 games, another incredible story unfolded. Fred Lorz of the U.S. took an early lead, running easily. But at the halfway point, the heat and pace overcame him and he dropped out of the race. After recuperating, he took a ride in one of the many cars following the runners along the marathon route. The car broke down 5 mi. from Olympic Stadium, so Lorz began to run the rest of the course. His car ride had put him in the lead once more, and he entered the stadium and crossed the finish line in first place--at least that's how it appeared to the spectators and officials. As a joke, Lorz did not tell the officials what had really happened. He was on the verge of being awarded the gold medal when his hoax was revealed. He was later banned from competing in any amateur track event for the rest of his life.
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