Erkki Tamila

Finnish sportsman Erkki Tamila competed in both cross-country skiing and long-distance running. In 1934 Tamila won the 20km Suojeluskunta skiing championship and finished third in the 18km cross-country race at the Salpausselän Games. In 1936 he was selected to run in the marathon at the Berlin Olympics. Despite it being the only marathon he ran in his career he finished a very credible fourth. After the Olympics Tamila won several 25km races and also set world records in the 15 miles and the 25,000 metres. At the Finnish championships he won silver in the 10,000 metres in 1937 before going one better to win gold the following year.

Tamila fought during the Winter War where he was badly wounded in the leg. His injury was thought to be so bad that a Dutch newspaper printed a premature obituary in January 1940. Tamila had in fact survived the war, with him having a career as a ski coach and serving on the council of the Finnish Ski Federation. He was 92-years-old when he died in February 2004.

Personal Best: Mar – 2-32:45 (1936).