PAAVO NURMI’S WORLD RECORDS

(Approved by the IAAF)

EVENT RECORD VENUE AND DATE BROKEN BY
1500 m 3.52,6 Helsinki 19 Jun 1924 Otto Peltzer, Germany 1926
mile 4.10,4 Stockholm 23 Aug 1923 Jules Ladoumègue, Ranska 1931
2000 m 5.26,3 Tampere 4 Sep 1922 Edvn Wide, Sweden 1925
2000 m 5.24,6 Kuopio 18 Jun 1927 Eino Purje, Finland 1927
3000 m 8.28,6 Turku 27 Aug 1922 Edvin Wide, Sweden 1925
3000 m 8.25,4 Berlin 24 May 1926 Paavo Nurmi, Finland 1926
3000 m 8.20,4 Stockholm 13 Jul 1926 Janusz Kusocinski, Poland 1932
2 miles* 8.59,6 Helsinki 24 Jul 1931 Donald Lash, USA 1936
3 miles* 14.11,2 Stockholm 24 Aug 1923 Lauri Lehtinen, Finland 1932
5000 m 14.35,4 Stockholm 12 Sep 1922 Paavo Nurmi, Suom 1924
5000 m 14.28,2 Helsinki 19 Jun 1924 Lauri Lehtinen, Finland 1932
4 miles* 19.15,4 Viipuri 1 Oct 1924 Janusz Kusocinski, Poland 1932
5 miles* 24.06,2 Viipuri 1 Oct 1924 The last officially approved WR;
unoffic. Gordon Pirie, Great Britain 1953
6 miles* 29.36,4 London 8 Jun 1930 Ilmari Salminen, Finland 1937
10 000 m 30.40,2 Stockholm 22 Jun 1921 Ville Ritola, Finland 1924
10 000 m 30.06,2 Kuopio 31 Aug 1924 Ilmari Salminen, Finland 1937
15 000 m* 46.49,6 Berlin 7 Oct 1928 The last officially approved WR;
unoffic. Volmari Iso-Hollo, Finland 1936
10 miles* 50.15,0 Berlin 7 Oct 1928 Viljo Heino, Finland 1945
20 000 m 1.04.38,4 Stockholm 3 Sep 1930 Juan Carlos Zabala, Argentina 1936
One hour race 19 210 m Berlin 7 Oct 1928 Viljo Heino, Finland 1945
4×1500 m** 16.26,2 Stockholm 12 Jul 1926 Turun Urheiluliitto, Finland 1926
4×1500 m** 16.11,4 Viipuri 17 Jul 1926 Great Britain 1931

* = World records of these events are no longer officially
approved by the IAAF.

** = Finnish Club Team Turun Urheiluliitto. Nurmi ran the last leg
in both relays.

During his tour of the United States in 1925 Paavo Nurmi made 29
unofficial indoor world records. However, the IAAF did not
approve official indoor world records until 1987.