Nurmi 10K WR 30:06.2

Nurmi clocks in at 30:06.2 – holding the world record for 13 years

Väinölänniemi Field, Kuopio, Finland, August 31,1924

"You have to improve the record by a substantial margin to ensure its longevity"

By the end of the season, Paavo Nurmi had only one goal left. The 10,000 metres world record needed to be shattered. He approached the task with characteristic determination: aiming to improve the record by a substantial margin to ensure its longevity.

The man from Turku launched his assault in Kuopio on August 31st. At the halfway mark, he pulled ahead with a split time of 14:52.5, putting him about eight seconds ahead of the previous record run by Ville Ritola. Nurmi continued his blistering pace with the number 29 in his sights. In the latter half, he didn't let up too much, crossing the finish line in a new world record time of 30:06.1 (officially rounded to 30:06.2). The time stood as the best in the world for 13 years.

The atmosphere at the Kuopio field was electric. A band played "Porilaisten marssi" (March of the Men of Pori, the honorary march of the Finnish Defence Forces). with gusto at every mile marker.

Newspaper stories

Helsingin Sanomat, September 1, 1924 (in Finnish)
Helsingin Sanomat, September 1, 1924 (in Finnish)

More long distance records

Sports Ground, Hamina, Finland, August 31, 1924
Papula Sports Ground, Viipuri, Finland, August 31, 1924

On the last day of August, the world records for 20,000 and 30,000 meters also fell. Paris Olympian Ville Kyrönen ran to a time of 1:07:07.4 in Hamina. Olympic champion Albin Stenroos chugged along in Viipuri for a longer distance, finishing in 1:46:11.6. Hannes Kolehmainen's record improved by over a minute. Antwerp Olympic silver medalist Jüri Lossmann participated in the Viipuri event but finished in fourth place.

The Helsingin Sanomat newspaper expressed great enthusiasm following recent world records:

"Such results naturally attract attention everywhere sports are practiced. Since the days of the Olympics, Finnish long-distance runners have been regarded as the rightful world champions. Their achievements are received as naturally expected. Yet these results have their own magnificent inspiring impact on the Finnish people. They awaken a desire for new accomplishments, new world records, and inspire younger generations of runners to continue training and eventually achieve the same results as our current world record holders."

Newspaper stories

Helsingin Sanomat, September 1, 1924 (in Finnish)
Helsingin Sanomat, September 1, 1924 (in Finnish)

Photo: Aamulehti, Sptember 14, 1924.

Nurmi-Ritola 2–0

Turku Sports Park, Turku, Finland, September 13–14, 1924

Pyynikki Sports Ground, Tampere, Finland, September 15, 1924

Two duels, first in the 5K, second in the 10K

Nurmi and Ritola faced off in two races towards the end of the season. The first match took place in Nurmi's home turf of Turku on September 14th over 5000 metres. The crowd favourite broke away from the pack after three kilometres and won with a stadium record of 14:43.8. Ritola, who had traveled to Turku by train overnight, stopped the clocks at 15:03.8. "Ritola's run felt forced and awkward," criticized local newspaper Turun Sanomat.

Nurmi warmed up the previous day by jogging to victory in the 1500 meters with a time of 3:59.9. The result was Nurmi's third-best of the Olympic year and ranked as the 14th fastest in the world standings.

Yrjö Ekqvist, who placed fourth in the Paris Olympics, threw a personal best with 65.33 metres in Turku. In the all-time rankings of Finland, this performance positioned him second, just behind Jonni Myyrä, who held the world record until the autumn of 1924.

The men were transported by car to Ritola's hometown of Tampere, where they clashed again on September 15th on a rain-softened track. This time, the event was ten kilometres. Ritola took the lead halfway through, but Nurmi surged ahead thereafter, clocking the second-fastest 10K time of all time in 30:20.9. Ritola finished in 30:44.5.

The organizers promoted the clash between Nurmi and Ritola clash with a large advertisement in the local newspaper, spanning six columns wide. The placement paid off, as a whopping six thousand spectators flocked to the Pyynikki stands.

Newspaper Stories

Helsingin Sanomat, September 14, 1924 (in Finnish)
Turun Sanomat, September 14, 1924 (in Finnish)
Turun Sanomat, September 15, 1924 (in Finnish)
Helsingin Sanomat, September 16, 1924 (in Finnish)
Aamulehti, September 16, 1924 (in Finnish)
Idrottsbladet, September 16, 1924 (in Swedish)

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