Parelius Finnerud

Parelius Finnerud, born and raised in Kristiania (Oslo), started his athletic career in 1909 and soon showed a special talent for long-distance running. In 1912 he lowered his 5,000 metre personal best to 16:12.5 and was selected to run cross-country at the Stockholm Olympics. Finnerud was a member of the Norwegian cross-country team that placed fourth in Stockholm, after he finished 20th individually.

In 1913 Finnerud placed second in the first ever Norwegian cross-country championship. In 1914 he had his best season, when he was Norwegian Champion in the 10,000 metres on the track. In the cross-country event he came third. He then ended his athletic career, got married, became a father of three children, and concentrated on his work as a businessman selling ready-made clohes.

Finnerud was a member of IK Tjalve. In 1923 the club organised a 15-stage street relay named Holmenkollstafetten for the first time. Finnerud was responsible for setting the course and was an important organizer of the event for several years before World War II. Holmenkollstafetten later became the biggest sporting event in Norway in terms of number of competitors. In 2023, on its 100th anniversary, the event gathered around 4,000 teams and 60,000 competitors, an all-time record.

Personal Best: 5000 – 16:12.5 (1912); 10000 – 35:15.7 (1914).