American tour of Paavo Nurmi

At the end of 1924, Paavo Nurmi embarked on a competition tour across the new continent. Over the span of five months, he participated approximately in 55 competitions, mostly indoors, and failed to win only a couple of them. In one race, he had to stop due to stomach issues, and in another, he lost on an undersized 880-yard race. He also suffered a few defeats in trivial handicap races.

Paavo Nurmi was still Paavo Nurmi while crossing the Atlantic. He trained diligently during the long sea voyage, but did so at night to avoid prying eyes.

Relentless Schedule

The Flying Finn took up residence as a lodger in the Bronx, New York. Nearby, the running paths of Van Cortlandt Park were easily accessible. This green space was also the venue for the U.S. cross-country championships in the 1920s, where Ville Ritola claimed five victories. From his Bronx lodgings, Nurmi traveled by train to compete across North America. The pace was relentless; at the peak, he raced every day or at least every other day. Once, Nurmi warmed up by jogging from the Bronx to Madison Square Garden, as he couldn’t ride the subway, which was packed with people on their way to watch him race.

Many of Nurmi’s races were held on the wooden track at Madison Square Garden in New York. Especially outside the Big Apple, races were typically held in armories, which were originally used for military training and equipment storage, particularly by the National Guard. Later, these spaces became multi-purpose halls, hosting not only track and field events but also fairs, meetings, and concerts.

The Record Mania Was Annoying

American audiences craved “records,” and they were catered to by having Nurmi run non-standard distances, such as 1.25 miles. Official times were often recorded at multiple points in the same race to ensure “records” were achieved.

After the tour, Nurmi expressed frustration with the American obsession with records: “Nothing but records and names matter in America. Because of the record mania, I had to run every possible fraction of a mile.”

There has been much talk about the poor relationship between Paavo Nurmi and Ville Ritola. However, on the North American tour, they often raced together. By the middle of the tour, though, Ritola stopped racing Nurmi frequently, as their matchups usually ended in defeat for the New York carpenter. Like athletes today, both men competed in the same meets but ran different distances.

The man from Turku focused on the essentials during the tour and didn’t bother much with the press. He also slipped away from numerous events organized by Finnish Americans at the earliest opportunity. However, one American newspaper did manage to interview the king of runners at the beginning of the tour:

• Turun Sanomat, January 14, 1925 (in Finnish)

Cultural differences between the U.S. and Finland became apparent in the American press. The media criticized Nurmi for being aloof, as he walked stone-faced to and from the track, without engaging with the crowd or participating in the surrounding buzz.

Newspaper Stories

• Turun Sanomat, January 14, 1925 (in Finnish)

• Turun Sanomat, February 18, 1925 (in Finnish)

Kickoff at the Garden: Three Unofficial World Records

Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, January 6, 1925

Paavo Nurmi launched his tour on Epiphany 1925 in New York. The Finnish American Athletic Club, a group of Finnish-Americans, had booked Madison Square Garden as the venue.

The strategy was to make this opening event as spectacular as possible so that Nurmi's manager, Hugo Qvist, would have an easier time securing his participation in the upcoming races of the tour. In the smoke-filled Garden, where the air was thick enough to slice with a knife, two races were on the program. Despite being unaccustomed to indoor track meets, the “Phantom Finn” casually set three unofficial indoor world records: 1500 meters in 3:56.0 and the mile in 4:13.6. Two hours later, in the 5000-meter race, the stopwatch stopped at 14:44.6.

According to The New York Times, Nurmi sped around the 146-meter track "with the swiftness and lightness of the wind." The roaring crowd of 12,000 people, stomping their feet in excitement, certainly got their money’s worth. And they should have, given that the ticket prices were three times higher than for regular events.

In the mile, America’s own Joie Ray finished second. In the 5000-meter race, Nurmi defeated Ville Ritola, who had led most of the race but wasn’t in top form at the start of the indoor season. Ritola had been recovering from the rigors of the Olympic year in his own way during the previous fall. Even during Prohibition, it was easy enough in New York, where there were 30,000 speakeasies.

Newspaper Stories 

• Lewiston Daily Sun, January 6, 1925

• AP, January 7, 1925

• STT, January 7, 1925 (in Finnish)

• Uusi Suomi, January 8, 1925 (in Finnish)

• Uusi Suomi, January 23, 1925 (in Finnish)

• Uusi Suomi, January 24, 1925 (in Finnish)

• Uusi Suomi, February 1, 1925 (American newspaper comments on the Epiphany races, in Finnish)

• Kalle Virtapohja, January 6, 2015 (in Finnish)

Nurmi Shatters the Unofficial 3000-Meter Indoor World Record

Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, January 15, 1925

Nurmi's relentless pace continued once the tour was underway. In mid-January, another race took place at Madison Square Garden, where Nurmi smashed the unofficial indoor 3000-meter world record, clocking in at 8:26.8. Ville Ritola led for a couple of laps but eventually had to give in, finishing about 50 meters behind Nurmi.

Fair Play in America

After the race, Nurmi praised the sportsmanship of American athletes. He was particularly impressed by how lapped competitors moved to the outer lanes when he charged past on the inside at full speed. "This allowed me to maintain my stride length. I have never seen such fair sportsmanship before," Nurmi remarked, almost emotionally.

Following the Garden race, Nurmi immediately boarded a train to Chicago, where new track battles awaited the very next day. After those races, he made his way back to his base in New York, only to continue on to another competition the following day.

Newspaper and Online Stories

• UP, January 16, 1925

• STT, January 17, 1925 (in Finnish)

• Kalle Virtapohja, January 15, 2015 (in Finnish)

Nurmi Breaks the 2000-Meter "World Record" Easily

22nd Regiment Armory, New York, NY, January 17, 1925

Next, Nurmi set his sights on the unofficial indoor 2000-meter world record. At Fordham University’s armory, he clocked an impressive time of 5:33. Nurmi’s condition was rock solid, as the press noted that he showed no signs of fatigue from the race.

This was also the first race of his American tour where Nurmi carried a stopwatch while running.

Ville Ritola, meanwhile, won the five-mile race at Fordham with a furious final lap sprint.

Newspaper and Online Stories

• Sunday Morning Star, January 18, 1925

• Kalle Virtapohja, January 17, 2015 (in Finnish)

Ritola Runs 5000 Meters in 14:39.4 – Unofficial World Record

Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY, January 24, 1925

Ville Ritola's form began to improve. At the end of January, during the Brooklyn College meet, he ran the 5000 meters in a handicap race, finishing with a time of 14:39.4. This shattered the unofficial indoor world record that Nurmi had set just a few weeks earlier.

Nurmi, on the other hand, competed in the 2000-yard handicap race in Brooklyn.

Newspaper and Stories

• Vancouver Sun, January 26, 1925

• Kalle Virtapohja, January 24, 2015 (in Finnish)

Nurmi Wins the Wanamaker Mile – Ray Gives Up

Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, January 27-28, 1925

A prestigious race awaited Nurmi at the end of January in Madison Square Garden. The Millrose Games, one of the oldest annual track and field invitational meets, were held at the end of the month. Due to Nurmi's presence, the event was extended to two days.

On the first day, Nurmi allowed Joie Ray to lead the ¾-mile race until the final lap, where he surged past on the 146-meter track. Ritola, meanwhile, broke the unofficial three-mile world record with a time of 14:04.

Last 1.5 Mile Race

On the second day, Nurmi won the Wanamaker Mile, which in fact stretched to 1.5 miles (2414 meters) and was officially called the "Wanamaker 1.5 Mile Race." Nurmi took the lead from the start and maintained it until the end. Ray, who had won seven of the previous eight Wanamaker Miles, gave up and dropped out of the race.

Nurmi became the last winner of the Wanamaker 1.5 Mile Race, as the distance was shortened to one mile in 1926.

Newspaper and Online Stories

• AP, January 29, 1925

• Kalle Virtapohja, January 27, 2015 (in Finnish)

• Kalle Virtapohja, January 28, 2015 (in Finnish)

• Racing Past, September 17, 2024

Ritola Breaks Unofficial 5000-Meter Indoor World Record Again – Now 14:31

Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, February 3, 1925

Ville Ritola broke his own unofficial 5000-meter indoor world record, set just a few days earlier, by completing the distance in 14:31 at Madison Square Garden.

Nurmi, meanwhile, posted a respectable time of 9:09.2 in the two-mile race.

Newspaper and Online Stories

• AP, February 4, 1925

• Kalle Virtapohja, February 3, 2015 (in Finnish)

A Record Lasts for 71 Years

106th Regiment Armory, Buffalo, NY, February 12, 1925

The railway tracks from New York to Buffalo became familiar to Nurmi, as he traveled to the western part of New York State in February to shatter the unofficial indoor world record for 2000 meters. His time of 5:22.4 stood as the Finnish record for 71 years, until Jukka Tammisuo clocked 5:20.18 at the indoor track in 1996.

By the time they reached Buffalo, Nurmi and Ritola had started competing in the same events but in different races. At the 106th Regiment Armory, Ritola jogged 2 miles in 9:03.8, matching Nurmi's unofficial world record time from just a few days earlier. The result was also noted by the American press. The New York Herald sensationalized it, referring to the “Double Hurricane from Finland.”

Despite all this, Ritola was clearly in the underdog position compared to Nurmi. The Flying Finn was running full-time, while Ritola was still working as a carpenter. Additionally, the crowd favored Nurmi, as Ritola had represented Finland, not the United States, at the Olympic Games the previous year.

Newspaper and Online Stories

• AP, February 13, 1925

• Turun Sanomat, February 14, 1925 (in Finnish)

• Kalle Virtapohja, February 12, 2015 (in Finnish)

A Performance Praised by Quercetani

Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, February 14, 1925

Italian track and field expert Roberto Quercetani considered Nurmi's most significant result during his American tour to be his unofficial two-mile world record of 8:58.2, set at Madison Square Garden on February 14. Breaking the nine-minute barrier for two miles was a notable achievement, especially in the Anglo-Saxon world.

Nurmi's time remained the unofficial indoor world record for 12 years.

Ritola was also in top form at Madison Square Garden. He won the three-mile handicap race with a time of 14:01.4, which would later be ranked as the second-best indoor performance of the year at this distance.

Newspaper and Online Stories

• Greensburg Daily Tribune, February 16, 1925

• Kalle Virtapohja, February 14, 2015 (in Finnish)

From the White House to the Track

Convention Hall, Washington, DC, February 21, 1925

Paavo Nurmi run a convincing victory over 3000 yards in Washington DC. The King of Runners prepared for the race by putting on a suit and making a quick visit to the White House during the day to meet with President Calvin Coolidge.

Online Stories

• Kalle Virtapohja, February 21, 2015 (in Finnish)

Ritola Sets Unofficial Indoor World Record for 5000 Meters

Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, February 24, 1925

Nurmi returned to Madison Square Garden at the end of February. The Flying Finn achieved a routine victory in the 2-mile race, finishing 17 seconds slower than the unofficial world record he had set nearly two weeks earlier.

The show at the Garden was stolen by Ville Ritola. The stride of the Peräseinäjoki runner had lengthened appropriately as winter progressed. In the competitions on February 24, Ritola defied centrifugal force at Madison Square Garden, speeding along the 146.3-meter wooden track with an impressive pace. As he crossed the finish line, he clocked an unofficial indoor world record for the 5000 meters at 14:23.2 (with a 3-mile split time of 13:56.2), which was five seconds faster than Nurmi's previous outdoor record.

The time also remained the world's best performance until the end of the year, provided that indoor track performances were considered (outdoors, Ville fell significantly short of his winter indoor performance in 1925). Ritola's result held as the unofficial indoor world record for 5000 meters until the 1960s and remained a Finnish record until 1972, when Pekka Vasala broke it. However, indoor and outdoor track results were not comparable in the 1920s, nor are they even a century later.

Ritola's performance garnered favorable comments from the Finnish press.

"In this competition, Ritola showed his lion's claws; he convincingly proved that he belongs in the same class as the King of Runners, Nurmi,"

remarked a reporter from Helsingin Sanomat.

Newspaper and Online Stories

• AP, February 25, 1925

• AP, February 25, 1925

• Uusi Suomi, February 27, 1925 (in Finnish)

• Hufvudstadsbladet, February 27, 1925 (in Swedish)

• Helsingin Sanomat, March 15, 1925 (in Finnish)

• Kalle Virtapohja, February 24, 2015 (in Finnish)

Nurmi and Ritola Crowned U.S. Indoor Champions

Jefferson County Armory, Louisville, KY, February 28, 1925

The dynamic duo of Nurmi and Ritola swept the prizes at the U.S. Indoor Championships held in Muhammad Ali's hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

Nurmi easily won the 2-mile race, becoming the first Finn to capture a U.S. championship in this event. His time of 9:09.6 was reported to be a new indoor record by the Amateur Athletic Union.

Ritola participated in the 2-mile steeplechase. His winning time of 9:59.4 was relatively modest. The track likely lacked a water jump.

Results

• Winners mostly (Wikipedia)

Newspaper and Online Stories

• AP, March 1, 1925

• Kalle Virtapohja, February 28, 2015 (in Finnish)

Nurmi Sets Unofficial Indoor Mile World Record in Buffalo

174th Armory, Buffalo, NY, March 7, 1925

On March 7, Nurmi made another attempt at the unofficial mile world record in Buffalo. This time, he succeeded, lowering the time to 4:12.0, which was just shy of his official outdoor world record of 4:10.4 set in 1923.

However, the Flying Marvel of Finland didn’t hold the "record" alone for long, as his fierce rival Joie Ray matched the time just ten days later at Madison Square Garden.

Hanging with Nurmi

Jimmy Connolly from Washington, DC, tried to hang with Nurmi, but by halfway through the race, he was left far behind. Despite that, the American deserves credit for his gutsy effort.

Ritola ran 3 miles in Buffalo, finishing with a winning time of 14:07.4, although it fell short of the unofficial world record.

Newspaper and Online Stories

• Sunday Tribune, March 8, 1925

• Hufvudstadsbladet, March 9, 1925 (in Swedish)

• Kalle Virtapohja, March 7, 2015 (in Finnish)

Nurmi Lowers His Own Unofficial 3000-Meter Indoor World Record

71st Regiment Armory, New York, NY, USA, March 12, 1925

By mid-March, Paavo Nurmi had reached excellent form, until stomach cramps interrupted his promising progress. On the 12th of March in New York, he set a new unofficial indoor world record for 3000 meters, clocking in at 8:26.4. This lowered his previous "record," which had stood for just a few weeks, by 0.4 seconds. Connolly, who had experienced Nurmi's punishing pace in Buffalo, was lapped in this race.

Ritola Defeats Kyrönen

Ville Ritola triumphed in the 3-mile race, defeating his fellow countryman and namesake Ville Kyrönen, who had been living on the other side of the Atlantic for several years. Kyrönen kicked off his indoor season at the 71st Regiment Armory meet.

Newspaper and Online Stories

• New York Evening Post, March 14, 1925

• Kalle Virtapohja, March 12, 2015 (in Finnish)

Nurmi Drops Out, Ray Equals “World Record”

Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, March 17, 1925

Nurmi and Ritola faced off again in the 5000 meters at the Garden on March 17 after a long break. The invitational race, called the Knights of Columbus, attracted around 12,000 spectators to the famous indoor arena in the Big Apple. 

Stomach Problems

The runners' spikes tore into the wooden track at a fierce pace. Ritola’s unofficial world record was under threat, as the pace was aimed at a final time of 14:20. Unfortunately, a veal cutlet devoured before the race upset Nurmi’s stomach, forcing him to drop out with four laps remaining, despite being more than 40 meters ahead of Ritola at the time. Even so, the "Wolf of Peräseinäjoki" won with a relatively strong time of 14:33.6.

In Finland, headlines sensationalized the "life-threatening" illness of Nurmi, but within a few days, these claims proved to be baseless.

Ray Equals

The St. Patrick’s Day meet still gave Americans something to celebrate. Joie Ray ran the mile in 4:12.0, equaling Nurmi’s unofficial indoor world record. At the start of the final lap, Ray launched his sprint, but Lloyd Hahn, who would later become a robust 800-meter finalist at the Amsterdam Olympics, stuck close behind. It was a fierce battle, but Ray came out on top.

Newspaper Stories

• Rochester Evening Journal and the Express, March 18, 1925

• Uusi Suomi, April 10, 1925 (in Finnish)

• Kalle Virtapohja, March 17, 2015 (in Finnish)

Nurmi Back in Form – DEFEATS Ritola in Buffalo

106th Armory, Buffalo, NY, March 26, 1925

Nurmi and Ritola met again in the 5000 meters in Buffalo, just a week after the dramatic race at Madison Square Garden. This time, Nurmi emerged victorious with a time of 14:38.0, in front of about 4,000 spectators. It was Ritola’s turn to suffer from stomach issues, and he lost nearly 100 meters to Nurmi, battling cramps along the way.

Newspaper and Online Stories

• Niagara Falls Gazette, March 27, 1925

• Kalle Virtapohja, March 26, 2015 (in Finnish)

Nurmi Faces the Native Americans

Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA, April 25, 1925

One of the most interesting races of the tour took place on the outdoor track at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in late April. Nurmi ran in an exhibition race against a team of Hopi Native Americans, coached by sprinter Charley Paddock.

“The Indian runners were just a gimmick arranged by Paddock to hype the crowd after the excitement over world records had cooled off,” Nurmi bluntly remarked after returning to Finland from his tour.

There was no complaint about the crowd size, though. A staggering 40,000 spectators packed the stands of the Coliseum to watch the King of Runners compete against the Native American runners. Nurmi’s winning time of 14:15.9 secured him the top spot in the world rankings.

Footage

• Film (British Pathé)

Newspaper and Online Stories

• AP, April 26, 1925

• Uusi Suomi, April 26, 1925 (in Finnish)

• Kalle Virtapohja, April 25, 1925 (in Finnish)

Mud Wrestling in Chicago: Nurmi Stronger than Ritola

Grant Park Stadium (later Soldier Field), Chicago, IL, April 19, 1925

Nurmi and Ritola met for the first time on American outdoor tracks at Loyola University’s relay meet in Chicago. The weather was rainy and miserable, but it didn’t stop Nurmi from winning the 3000 meters. Ritola finished about five meters behind after a sprint battle. No remarkable times were set in the mud, with a cold wind blowing in from the lake.

The race closely resembled their head-to-head battles in major championships. Ritola led for four-fifths of the distance with a grimace of pain, only for Nurmi to power past him in the final stretch.

Newspaper Stories

• Evening Independent, April 20, 1925

• Kalle Virtapohja, April 19, 2015 (in Finnish)

Nurmi Defeats Ritola in San Francisco

Kezar Memorial Stadium, San Francisco, CA, May 3, 1925

Nurmi and Ritola had their second and final outdoor duel of the tour at the new Kezar Stadium of San Francisco. The soft track and fierce winds didn’t favor the Finnish distance runners, who had been invited to compete in the Pacific Division Amateur Athletic Union’s 2-mile invitational.

Once again, Nurmi was the fastest. This time, the Wolf of Peräseinäjoki had to concede defeat by about 50 meters. Although Ritola led for the first mile, the Phantom Finn took over and never looked back.

Newspaper Stories

• The Evening Independent, May 4, 1925

• Kalle Virtapohja, May 3, 2015 (in Finnish)

Nurmi Achieves the World's Fastest Mile Time

Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, MA, May 22, 1925

Paavo Nurmi also ran at the famous Harvard University track, which hosted many of the American university championship races in the 1920s. He clocked the mile in 4:15.2. His old rival, James Connolly, finished just three seconds behind. When the end-of-year statistics were compiled, it was noted that Nurmi's time remained the world's fastest mile for the remainder of the year.

Nurmi had records in mind, as he started off strong. He hit the quarter-mile mark in 60.2 seconds and reached the halfway point in 2:04.2. However, in the second half of the race, Nurmi’s pace gradually slowed, and a pained expression appeared on his face. No records fell this time.

Newspaper and Online Stories

• Gazette Times, May 22, 1925

• Kalle Virtapohja, May 22, 2015 (in Finnish)

Ritola Wins the Bronx to City Hall Marathon

Bronx & Manhattan, New York, NY, May 23, 1925

Ville Ritola claimed victory with a lead of three and a half minutes in the New York cross-city race organized by the Evening Graphic, officially known as the Bronx to City Hall Marathon. The nearly 100-Fahrenheit degree heat didn’t slow him down. Finnish-Americans had a strong showing, with Yrjö Korholin-Koski finishing second on the 11.5-mile course, and Ville Kyrönen coming in fourth. Boston Marathon winner Clarence DeMar took third.

The win was especially meaningful for Ritola, who was running on home turf, as New York’s mayor, John F. Hylan, awarded him a stylish bronze statue on the steps of City Hall.

Paavo Nurmi also played a role in the race by firing the starting gun for the 800 participants.

Newspaper Stories

• AP, May 24, 1925

Nurmi's 121-Race Winning Streak Comes to an End

Yankee Stadium, New York, NY, May 26, 1925

Paavo Nurmi’s first American tour concluded at a charity event held at Yankee Stadium in New York, featuring an 880-yard race for him. Although Nurmi had been complaining of fatigue and was not originally scheduled to compete in the race, he showed up at the starting line because the event served a good cause.

Alan Helffrich defeated the Finn on his home turf with a time of 1:56.8. This marked Nurmi’s only real loss on the American tour, simultaneously breaking the Turku runner's remarkable 121-race winning streak that had begun in 1921.

The American controversially used a rabbit (according to an interview with Nurmi after the circuit: two rabbits)  in the race, which Nurmi referred to as "forerunners." Later, Helffrich went on to win his third U.S. championship in the two laps, so the King of Runners didn’t lose to a poor competitor. Nurmi himself was unfazed by the defeat. “I’m not disappointed,” he told news agencies. “Helffrich is a great runner and beat me fairly and squarely."

Two days after the race at Yankee Stadium, Nurmi packed his belongings and began his return journey to Turku, Finland, from the New York harbor, a trip that would take about two weeks.

Newspaper and Online Stories

• Telegraph-Herald, May 27, 1925

• Kalle Virtapohja, May 26, 2015 (in Finnish)