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 and strychnine. 4th place stole 2 peaches from a spectator, ate rotten apples from an orchard and took a nap.
I don’t know if it was joked about. I remember an episode about the serious consequences of the inspector getting hooked on rubbing cocaine on his gums and the addiction surrounding it