Paavo Nurmi

The "Flying Finn," Nurmi won a total of nine gold and three silver medals in his 12 Olympic Games events from 1920 to 1928, including five gold medals at the 1924 Summer Olympics held in Paris. Nurmi was the lighter of the Olympic Flame at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki.

Today the Helsinki Marathon started from near this statue, at 3pm on a scorching hot and sunny day. Here are the early leaders of the men's and women's race along with some other runners. I also liked these spectators.

The Olympic Stadium looked magnificent, 60 years on.

Earlier in the day, I walked around the embassy district. After photographing the British Embassy, a security guard, unashamedly wearing a G4S uniform, popped-out to give me a stern glance.