Editing Paavo Nurmi (section)

===Move to longer distances===
[[File:Paavo Nurmi checks his stopwatch in 1928.jpg|thumb|left|alt=refer to caption|Nurmi checks his stopwatch in 1928]]
Nurmi stated to a Swedish newspaper that "this is absolutely my last season on the track. I am beginning to get old. I have raced for fifteen years and have had enough of it."<ref name="Urheilumuseo"/> However, Nurmi continued running, turning his attention to longer distances. In October, he broke the world records for the 15&nbsp;km, the 10 miles and the [[one hour run]] in [[Berlin]].<ref name="Records"/> Nurmi's one-hour record stood for 17 years, until [[Viljo Heino]] ran 129 metres further in 1945.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=[[Ottawa Citizen]] | title=Nurmi Mark Has Been Bettered | date=2 October 1945 | page=15 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19451002&id=yiQzAAAAIBAJ&pg=4956,326982 | access-date=18 August 2012}}</ref> In January 1929, Nurmi started his second U.S. tour from [[Brooklyn]].<ref>{{cite news | first=Frank | last=Getty | newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Press|The Pittsburgh Press]] | title=Paavo Nurmi runs tonight in Brooklyn | date=19 January 1929 | page=1 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dEsbAAAAIBAJ&pg=5557,1242968&dq=paavo-nurmi&hl=en | access-date=18 August 2012}}</ref> He suffered his first-ever defeat in the mile to [[Ray Conger]] at the indoor [[Wanamaker Mile]].<ref name="The Day">{{cite news | newspaper=[[The Day (New London)|The Day]] | title=Conger Beats Paavo Nurmi in Mile Run | date=11 February 1929 | page=8 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZqctAAAAIBAJ&pg=5151,3938971&dq=nurmi&hl=en | access-date=22 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | title=Ray Conger Named Coach; Noted Track Star to Direct the Teams at Penn State | date=24 December 1942 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1942/12/24/archives/ray-conger-named-coach-noted-track-star-to-direct-the-teams-at-penn.html | access-date=22 August 2012}}</ref> Nurmi was seven seconds slower than in his world record run in 1925,<ref name="The Day"/> and it was immediately speculated if the mile had become too short a distance for him.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|The Milwaukee Journal]] | title=Paavo May Quit Mile Run | date=11 February 1929 | page=2 | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YqxQAAAAIBAJ&pg=5815,2378948&dq=nurmi&hl=en | access-date=22 August 2012 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In 1930, he set a new world record for the 20&nbsp;km.<ref name="Records"/> In July 1931, Nurmi showed he still had pace for the shorter distances by beating [[Lauri Lehtinen]], [[Lauri Virtanen]] and [[Volmari Iso-Hollo]], and breaking the world record on the now-rare [[two miles]].<ref name="The Milwaukee Journal">{{cite news | newspaper=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|The Milwaukee Journal]] | title=Paavo Nurmi Sets Record | date=25 July 1931 | page=10 | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pLVQAAAAIBAJ&pg=4499,2816239&dq=paavo-nurmi&hl=en | access-date=19 August 2012 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | first=Roberto | last=Quercetani | year=1964 | title=A World History of Track and Field Athletics | url=https://archive.org/details/worldhistoryoftr0000quer | url-access=registration | publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] | page=[https://archive.org/details/worldhistoryoftr0000quer/page/139 139] }}</ref> He was the first runner to complete the distance in less than nine minutes.<ref name="The Milwaukee Journal"/> Nurmi planned to compete only in the 10,000 m and the marathon in the [[1932 Summer Olympics]] in Los Angeles, stating that he "won't enter the 5000 metres for Finland has at least three excellent men for that event."<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=[[Sun Journal (Lewiston)|The Lewiston Daily Sun]] | title=Paavo Nurmi on Finnish team of 25 for Olympics | date=29 December 1931 | page=8 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lMAgAAAAIBAJ&pg=5721,7249297&dq=paavo-nurmi&hl=en | access-date=19 August 2012}}</ref>

In April 1932, the executive council of the [[International Association of Athletics Federations|International Amateur Athletics Federation]] (IAAF) suspended Nurmi from international athletics events pending an investigation into his amateur status by the Finnish Athletics Federation.<ref name="St. Petersburg Times">{{cite news | newspaper=[[Tampa Bay Times|St Petersburg Times]] | title=Finns Aroused by Nurmi Suspension | date=4 April 1932 | page=7 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tLgwAAAAIBAJ&pg=5140,3528245&dq=paavo+nurmi&hl=en | access-date=20 August 2012}}</ref> The Finnish authorities criticized the IAAF for acting without a hearing,<ref name="St. Petersburg Times"/> but agreed to launch an investigation. It was customary of the IAAF to accept the final decision of its national branch,<ref name="Telegraph Herald">{{cite news | newspaper=[[Telegraph Herald]] | title=Paavo Nurmi Cleared of Pro Charges, to Marry | date=11 April 1932 | page=9 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=o75FAAAAIBAJ&pg=4676,440379&dq=paavo-nurmi&hl=en | access-date=20 August 2012}}</ref> and the [[Associated Press]] wrote that "there is little doubt that if the Finnish federation clears Nurmi the international body will accept its decision without question."<ref name="St. Petersburg Times"/> A week later, the Finnish Athletics Federation ruled in favor of Nurmi, finding no evidence for the allegations of professionalism.<ref name="Telegraph Herald"/> Nurmi was hopeful that his suspension would be lifted in time for the Games.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=[[Windsor Star|The Border Cities Star]] | title=Nurmi Hopes To Run in Olympics | date=8 June 1932 | page=2 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=cA0_AAAAIBAJ&pg=2733,3590465&dq=paavo-nurmi&hl=en | access-date=20 August 2012}}</ref>

[[File:Paavo Nurmi runs marathon in 1932.jpg|thumb|alt=refer to caption|Nurmi running his first and only "Short" marathon {{convert|40.2|km|mi|abbr=on}}at the 1932 Olympic trials in [[Viipuri]]]]
On 26 June 1932 Nurmi started his first marathon at the Olympic trials. Not drinking a drop of liquid, he ran the old-style 'short marathon' of {{convert|40.2|km|mi|abbr=on}} in 2:22:03.8 – on the pace to finish in about 2:29:00,<ref name="The Olympic Marathon">{{cite book | first1=David E. | last1=Martin | first2=Roger W. H. | last2=Gynn | year=2000 | title=The Olympic Marathon | publisher=Human Kinetics | pages=[https://archive.org/details/olympicmarathon00mart/page/148 148–149] | isbn=978-0880119696 | url=https://archive.org/details/olympicmarathon00mart/page/148 }}</ref> just under [[Albert Michelsen]]'s [[Marathon world record progression|marathon world record]] of 2:29:01.8. At the time, he led [[Armas Toivonen]], the eventual Olympic bronze medalist, by six minutes.<ref name="Top Distance Runners">{{cite book | first=Seppo | last=Luhtala | year=2002 | title=Top Distance Runners of the Century | publisher=Meyer & Meyer Verlag | page=[https://archive.org/details/topdistancerunne0000unse/page/13 13] | isbn=978-1841260693 | url=https://archive.org/details/topdistancerunne0000unse/page/13 }}</ref> Nurmi's time was the new unofficial world record for the short marathon.<ref name="San Jose News">{{cite news | newspaper=[[San Jose News]] | title=Paavo Nurmi Claims Mark | date=27 June 1932 | page=2 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Zg0iAAAAIBAJ&pg=4138,5150925&dq=paavo-nurmi&hl=en | access-date=19 August 2012}}</ref> Confident that he had done enough, Nurmi stopped and retired from the race owing to problems with his Achilles tendon.<ref name="The Olympic Marathon"/> The [[Finnish Olympic Committee]] entered Nurmi for both the 10,000 m and the marathon.<ref>{{cite news | first=Alan | last=Gould | newspaper=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|Milwaukee Sentinel]] | title=U.S. opposes blanket law under I.A.A.F. | date=23 July 1932 | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3SpQAAAAIBAJ&pg=6514,3255240&dq=nurmi&hl=en | page=14 | access-date=22 August 2012 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> ''[[The Guardian]]'' reported that "some of his trial times were almost unbelievable,"<ref name="The Guardian">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2012/may/18/50-stunning-olympic-moments-paavo-nurmi |title=50 stunning Olympic moments No31: Paavo Nurmi wins 5000m in 1924 |date=18 May 2012 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |first=Simon |last=Burnton}}</ref> and Nurmi went on to train at the Olympic Village in Los Angeles despite his injury.<ref name="Urheilumuseo"/> Nurmi had set his heart on ending his career with a marathon gold medal, as Kolehmainen had done shortly after the First World War.{{sfn|Sears|2001|p=216}}