Thor Helland
Norwegian long-distance runner (1936–2021)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thor Helland (10 December 1936 – 2 August 2021[1]) was a Norwegian long-distance runner who specialized in the 5000 metres.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Thor Oluf Helland |
| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Born | 10 December 1936 |
| Died | 2 August 2021 (aged 84) |
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Weight | 65 kg (143 lb) |
| Sport | |
Event | 5,000 metres |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best | 13.37.4 (1965) |
Helland was born in Sørfold Municipality in Nordland county, Norway.
At the 1964 Summer Olympics he finished eighth in the 5000m final in 13:57.0 minutes.[2] He became Norwegian champion 12 times in the years 1961 to 1967.[3] He represented the club IL i BUL.[4]
His personal best time was 13:37.4 minutes, achieved in June 1965 in Helsinki.[5] He held the Norwegian record for 3000m three times, 5000m two times, and 10,000m once.[6] He also held the Nordic record for 5000m and 3000m in 1965.
He and his wife, Unni Helland (a prominent athlete herself) have contributed a great deal to their club IL i BUL as coaches. In 2020 they were still actively training and supporting the new generation of athletes.[7]
Thor and Unni Helland lived in Oslo, Norway and have two children together, Ståle (b.1961) and Lasse (b.1963). They also have two granddaughters: Anine (b.1992) and Emilie Josephine (b.1993).
