Paavo Kotila

Paavo Kotila was a Finnish distance runner who was at his best in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The highlight of his career was winning the 1960 Boston Marathon in 2-20:54. Kotila ran Boston only one other time, placing fourth in 1955, prior to his 1956 Olympic appearance. He was a three-time Finnish champion in the marathon, winning in 1955-56 and 1961. His best marathon time was 2-18:04.8 in 1956 which broke the Finnish record. Kotila was world-ranked four times as follows: 1955-4, 1956-10, 1957-3, and 1960-6. His other major podium finish was finishing third at Košice in 1957. On the track Kotila ran the 10,000, placing fourth at the 1952 Finnish Championships and fifth in 1953, before moving up to the marathon and the roads.

Personal Bests: 10000 – 30:40 (1952); Mar – 2-18:04.8 (1956).