Foto: Röde hanen
World record
15 August 1941

4 x 1 english mile

17.16,2

Fire Brigade’s Sports Club

On the 15th of August 1941, Stockholm Stadium saw an unusual world record be broken when the Fire Brigade’s Sports Club ran a 4 × mile relay at at time of 17:16.2. The team consisted of Åke “Spånga” Jansson, Bror Hellström, Henry Kälarne and Hugo Karlén.

After 24 hours of pouring rain, the sun came out just as the race was about to start, and thanks to good pacesetters, the firefighters were in a great position to break the record.  When the final runner Bror Hellström crossed the finish line, they had taken a full 14 seconds off the previous record. “The world record received a cheery yet unsurprised approval from the 3,000 spectators in the stands”, one newspaper noted.

That record breaking race took place during the half time of a football game, and the Fire Brigade’s Sports Club went on to set another world record that year, at yet another slightly odd distance, the 4 x 1,500 meters relay. 

Other records

Jim Thorpe

Jim Thorpe

The American Jim Thorpe is one of the greatest Olympians of all time. At the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, he won both the athletics pentathlon and the decathlon by unprecedented margins. 

Erik Lemming

Eric Lemming

Expectations of Eric Lemming were high at the 1912 Olympic Games and he did not disappoint, taking the gold medal in the javelin with a throw of 60.64 metres.

Henry Jonsson

On the 14th of August 1940, Henry Kälarne, fireman and athlete, set a new world record in 3,000 metres at Stockholm Stadium.

Patrik Sjöberg sätter nytt världsrekord i höjdhopp

Patrik Sjöberg

Patrik Sjöberg will be forever associated with the Stockholm Stadium and his world record of 2.42.

Rolling Stones på Stadion i Stockholm

The Rolling Stones

When the British stars performed at the Stockholm Stadium on the 3rd of June 1995, the 35,200 fans present cheered everything from Satisfaction to Start Me Up.

Nora Anna

On the 30th of August 1945, the atmosphere at the Stockholm Stadium was ecstatic as Nora-Anna broke her third world record in the 800 meters with a time of 2:13.8.