Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY, January 23, 1926
The renowned New York working man Ville Ritola was taking a gap year but made an appearance in America's winter indoor competitions. In the latter half of January, he ran 5000 meters in Brooklyn in a time of 14:47.6, which earned him second place in the year's world rankings, counting both outdoor and indoor results. Run while suffering from a cold, the time was quite respectable, especially since after a rather slow start, the "Wolf of Peräseinäjoki" surged through the last mile in 4:32.
Ritola's fierce rival, Paavo Nurmi, blazed through the 5000 meters over 10 seconds faster later that September in Vienna, Austria.
Ritola, running below full fitness, won nine out of his ten indoor season races. His only loss came to James Connolly at the Millrose Games in New York, in the mile, a distance shorter than the Finn's specialty. Ritola, complaining of fatigue, announced after the indoor season that he would take a long break from competition.
Newspaper Stories
Helsingin Sanomat February 13, 1926 (in Finnish)