17 Facts About Veikko Karvonen

Veikko Leo Karvonen was a Finnish long-distance runner who mainly competed in the marathon.

Veikko Karvonen won the bronze medal in the marathon at the 1956 Summer Olympics.

Veikko Karvonen was evacuated to Saarijarvi, where he started his running career training with Jussi Kurikkala.

Veikko Karvonen ran his first marathon in autumn 1949 in Turku with the promising result of 2:45:07.

Veikko Karvonen finished second in the marathon 32 seconds after the winner Jack Holden.

In 1951 Veikko Karvonen ran three marathons and won all of them.

Veikko Karvonen trained hard for the 1952 Summer Olympics, which were in Helsinki, the capital of his home country, Finland.

Veikko Karvonen rewarded his supporters at the Olympic marathon by finishing fifth with the time 2:26:41, three and half minutes after the Olympic champion Emil Zatopek.

Veikko Karvonen did not gave up after his disappointment in Turku.

Peters dropped from his pace at the course's Heartbreak Hill and Veikko Karvonen took his most memorable victory in 2:20:39.

However, in the Olympics marathon Veikko Karvonen was the best Finn and overall third-place finisher.

Twelve kilometers before the finish line, Veikko Karvonen was still in second position after Alain Mimoun.

The race was run in very hot conditions and later Veikko Karvonen admitted it as the most painful race of his career.

Veikko Karvonen suffered in the last kilometers, but only Franjo Mihalic was able to pass him.

At the 1957 Boston Marathon, Karvonen was second after John J Kelley, a young American, who beat Karvonen by almost four minutes.

The New York Times reported that midway through the race, Veikko Karvonen was clutching his side and seemed to have a stitch.

Veikko Karvonen was still sixth at the 1958 European Championships with his all-time third best time, 2:22:45, second at the 1958 Fukuoka Marathon, and fourth at the 1959 Boston Marathon.