Synnyimme juoksemaan

1916-1930

Karhu taival eteenpäin saa alkunsa. Ensimmäisten tuotteiden joukossa mm. puukeihäitä ja kiekkoja.

1930-1960

Karhuilla voitetaan 22 mitalia vuoden 1952 kotikisoissa. Myöhemmin Karhu luopuu kolmen raidan tuotemerkistään nykyään hyvin tunnetulle urheilufirmalle. Kauppahinnaksi muodostui kaksi pulloa hyvää viskiä ja noin 1600€.

1960-1980

Olavi Suomalainen voittaa vuoden 1972 Boston Marathonin Karhu Champion-mallin avittamana. Championia myytiin maailmanlaajuisesti yli miljoona paria.

1980-2000

Karhu aloittaa yhteistyön Jyväskylän yliopiston kanssa ja kehittää rullaavamman askelluksen mahdollistavan Fulcrum-teknologian. Uusi versio Fulcrumista julkaistaan vuonna 2008. Yliopiston testitulokset osoittavat, että Karhun jalkineet tarjoavat merkittävän edun juoksijoille.

2000-nykypäivä

Karhun Stong fulcrum_ride voittaa Runner’s Worldin “Best Debut” kategorian, Karhun Fast fulcrum_ride voittaa naisten “Best Form” kategorian ja Forward fulcrum_ride voittaa naisten “Running Performance/Racing“ kategorian.

FINNISH ATHLETICS: FLYING AND THROWING

Finnish Glory

In the words of Britain’s double Olympic 1500m champion Sebastian Coe - "Many western nations have their strong athletic traditions. France and Belgium have had their long distance men, Italy her sprinters, Great Britain her middle distance record breakers. All have their idols, their occasional and ecstatically received gold medals, and their frequent but vain attempts down the field. None, though, with all their human resources, has the sheer will to win that characterizes Finland.”

"The Finns themselves ascribe it to something they call "SISU", some combination of pride and stubbornness and guts. To a Finn with more than his fair share of Sisu, all concepts but winning seem to disappear, all temptation to compromise is resisted, and he becomes twice the competitor, twice the opponent"

Finnish athletes during the 20th century helped to define the pride and passion of what it is to be a Finn. The average Finn doesn't care that their neighbors’ and former colonial masters, Sweden and Russia are so much bigger, the demographic and geographic statistics cannot be changed, as on the Olympic roll of honor it is tiny Finland which has had the greatest triumphs.

Track & Field is the most international of all sports. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has more member nations - 211 - than the United Nations. Yet despite the universality of the sport, Finland with a population of only five million, about the size of greater London, has won more men's track & field gold medals - 48 titles - than any other nation in the world with the exception of the USA. Yes, Finnish male athletes have won more Olympic athletics titles than the men of Britain, Germany, or even Russia.

Athletics is a religion to the Finns. The Olympics and Finnish success within them is the embodiment of what it means to be a Finn, and it is not too extreme to say that the Finns really are the Olympics 'chosen people'.

Written and published by Chris Turner. Copyright C.J. Turner 1996.