Ville Kyrönen

Finnish distance runner Ville Kyrönen had success in his home country before relocating to the United States to continue his career. In 1912 Kyrönen was selected to compete in the cross-country race at the Stockholm Olympics where he finished seventh in the individual event. The best three individual times for each nation also contributed to the team event, which saw Finland win silver. Even though Kyrönen was the fourth-best Finn overall he was still awarded with a medal along with the rest of his compatriots. In the same year, he won his only Finnish championship, the 5 x 2,000 metres relay together with Tatu Kolehmainen, Hannes Kolehmainen, and two non-Olympians. By 1914 he had moved to the United States and was one of several notable Finnish athletes including Kolehmainen who continued their career in the country following the outbreak of World War I.

Kyrönen won several races at the US National Championships with victory in the 5 miles (1914), 10 miles (1917), and cross-country race (1916). He soon began to specialise in the marathon, coming in sixth in the 1914 Boston Marathon before finishing second in the race two years later. In 1920 he ran in the New York Marathon, which was used as qualification for the Antwerpen Olympics. Despite finishing sixth, and being the best-placed Finn, Kyrönen did not go to Antwerpen, allegedly obeying the orders of the Communist International to boycott the “capitalists’“ Games.

Kyrönen continued to have impressive results at the Boston Marathon, finishing seventh in 1921 and fifth in 1922, and won the Helsinki Marathon in 1923. These results earned him selection for the marathon at the 1924 Paris Olympics but he did not finish the course. Still in Finland, he won the Vyborg marathon in the same year and the 20km at the European Championships in a world record time of 1-07:07.2. Kyrönen returned to the USA where he remained consistent at the Boston Marathon making the podium in 1929 (third), 1930 (second) and 1932 (third). At the age of 41 he made his third and final appearance at the Olympics but again did not finish the marathon course at the 1932 Los Angeles Games. In 1933, he ran his last Boston marathon, finishing fifth.

Kyrönen anglicised his name to Willie Kyronen and spent the rest of his life in the United States with his wife Hilma running his own bakery in Brooklyn.

Personal Best: Mar – 2-34:55 (1932).