The Marathon Men

St Louis 1904

A Cuban Postman, a despairing Lawyer, two young Zulu tribesmen and the many characters inside the World's Fair, help set the background for the 1904 St Louis Olympic Games.

As Postman, Felix Carbajal and his despondent lawyer, Ruis Ravenelli are charged by a judge to make better use of their spare time, two young Zulu youths, Jan Mashiani and Len Taunyane, set out from the African bush to make a name for themselves.

The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, the World Fair, is attracting close to 20 million visitors. Against this, only the world’s third ever Olympic Games attempts to attract an audience of its own.

As the President’s daughter, Alice Roosevelt arrives, Games organiser, David R. Francis, is charged with making a success out of the event if it is the last thing he does. He sets his sights on the Marathon as his refuge, and sets out at all costs to make it a success.

As the news of the arrival of the strange Cuban, and the two African athletes slowly start to arouse mild interest, the athletes and characters surrounding it slowly start to gather, and the Marathon Men are born.



Though historically accurate, many characters have been added to the story solely for the purpose of entertainment and bolstering the general story.