Warsaw, September 7–8, 1929
Paavo Nurmi kicked off his European season in early September with a competition tour through the Baltic states and Poland. His form wasn’t yet at its peak, as he suffered a rare defeat in Warsaw against Poland’s rising star, Stanisław Petkewicz, in the 3000.
Later, Nurmi explained his loss: "I was in poor shape, and besides, I had been traveling by train for three days."
Nurmi set the pace throughout the race, but the Polish runner snatched a prestigious scalp with a strong finishing kick. However, the Finnish king of runners got his revenge the next day, edging Petkewicz convincingly over four miles.
Thanks to his performances, Petkewicz was named Poland’s Sports Personality of the Year in 1929.
Petkewicz represented Latvia in the 5000m final at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. In 1929, he moved to Poland, changing his name to Stanisław Petkewicz, before transitioning into coaching. In 1939, he fled to South America to escape the looming war in Europe.
Helsingin Sanomat, September 8, 1929 (in Finnish)