Frederick Lorz
Encyclopedia
Frederick "Fred" Lorz was an American
long distance runner
who won the 1905 Boston Marathon
. Lorz is also known for his "finish" in the marathon at the 1904 Summer Olympics.
Born in New York City
, Lorz was reported to have done all his training at night due to his profession as a bricklayer
.
In the marathon at the 1904 Olympic Games, Lorz stopped running because of exhaustion after nine miles (14.5 km). His manager gave him a lift in his car for the next eleven miles (17.7 km), after which it broke down; Lorz then continued on foot back to the Olympic stadium, where he broke the finishing line tape and was greeted as the winner of the race.
Though he initially went along with it, he soon admitted that it was a joke after spectators claimed that he had not run the entire race. Thomas Hicks went on to become the real winner, though he too had an unusual race, walking part of the route and being assisted by strychnine
, which has since been banned; among the 32 runners that entered, he was one of several who came near death (along with William Garcia), and he retired the next day.
Lorz was banned for life by the Amateur Athletic Union
, but was reinstated soon afterwards after he apologized for the stunt and it was found that he had not intended to defraud. He won the Boston Marathon in 1905 with a time of 2:28:25.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
long distance runner
Road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
who won the 1905 Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
. Lorz is also known for his "finish" in the marathon at the 1904 Summer Olympics.
Born in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Lorz was reported to have done all his training at night due to his profession as a bricklayer
Bricklayer
A bricklayer or mason is a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork. The term also refers to personnel who use blocks to construct blockwork walls and other forms of masonry. In British and Australian English, a bricklayer is colloquially known as a "brickie".The training of a trade in...
.
In the marathon at the 1904 Olympic Games, Lorz stopped running because of exhaustion after nine miles (14.5 km). His manager gave him a lift in his car for the next eleven miles (17.7 km), after which it broke down; Lorz then continued on foot back to the Olympic stadium, where he broke the finishing line tape and was greeted as the winner of the race.
Though he initially went along with it, he soon admitted that it was a joke after spectators claimed that he had not run the entire race. Thomas Hicks went on to become the real winner, though he too had an unusual race, walking part of the route and being assisted by strychnine
Strychnine
Strychnine is a highly toxic , colorless crystalline alkaloid used as a pesticide, particularly for killing small vertebrates such as birds and rodents. Strychnine causes muscular convulsions and eventually death through asphyxia or sheer exhaustion...
, which has since been banned; among the 32 runners that entered, he was one of several who came near death (along with William Garcia), and he retired the next day.
Lorz was banned for life by the Amateur Athletic Union
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
, but was reinstated soon afterwards after he apologized for the stunt and it was found that he had not intended to defraud. He won the Boston Marathon in 1905 with a time of 2:28:25.