Neil Horan - 2004 Summer Olympics Men's Marathon

2004 Summer Olympics Men's Marathon

In spite of the fact that security for the 2004 Athens Olympics was tight due to fears of a terrorist attack, on 29 August Horan (who had flown to Athens earlier that day) was able to run onto the course of the men's marathon event near the 35 km mark, carrying a placard which said:

The Grand Prix priest. Israel fulfillment of prophecy says the Bible, the second coming is near.

Horan pushed Brazilian Vanderlei de Lima, who was leading the race, into the crowds alongside the course. After a few seconds Horan was hauled off the shaken runner by Greek spectator Polyvios Kossivas. Kossivas subdued Horan and helped de Lima up and back to the lane. Horan was promptly arrested by Greek police (who, in spite of the difficulties of securing the marathon course, were later criticized for not giving runners adequate protection). Following the encounter with Horan, De Lima suffered from leg cramps and muscle pain, although he continued running and completed the race. He lost 20 seconds from his 48 second lead and finished third, after being passed by Italian Stefano Baldini and American Mebrahtom Keflezighi at the 38 km mark, however, it remains unclear to what extent this is attributable to the incident between de Lima and Horan.

De Lima later commented:

"It was crazy on the course, it was bad. For me it's very, very bad."
"I was scared, because I didn't know what could happen to me, whether he was armed with a knife, a revolver or something and whether he was going to kill me ... That's what cost me the gold medal."

De Lima was awarded the Pierre de Coubertin Medal at the closing ceremony for his "...exceptional demonstration of fair play and Olympic values during this evening's marathon."

The head of the Brazilian Track Federation launched an appeal based on the controversy surrounding Horan's interference in the marathon. The federation asked that de Lima also be awarded a gold medal, citing precedents set in past Olympic matches where extenuating circumstances have led to more than one winner in certain sports. This request was denied.

Horan was given a 12 months' suspended sentence by a Greek court and fined €3,000. Although he could have been sentenced to up to five years' imprisonment, the judge gave him a suspended sentence on account of his mental state. Horan also apologised.

Horan's brother, Dan Horan, later apologised for his brother's actions and argued that he should have been jailed, saying:

"The family are totally shocked and appalled by what he is doing."

Sales of Horan's books rose after the incident, particularly in the United States, a country which made up 80% of the sales. Leslie Broad of Deunant Books, which publishes Horan's work on the Internet, said he was shocked by Horan's behaviour, calling him "a damned fool", and has vowed to try to ensure that profits go to charity. As of 2004, Deunant Books are taking legal advice on whether they can end their contract with Horan.

On 20 January 2005, Horan was formally defrocked by the Catholic Church. He was informed of the ruling at a meeting with the Archbishop of Southwark in London. Horan was quoted as saying,

"I completely reject this decision ... I appeal to the much higher court of Heaven and the court of Jesus Christ."