Santtu Heikkinen Smashes 1,500m Finnish Record

Lempäälä-based middle-distance runner Santtu Heikkinen is in phenomenal form. Heikkinen set a new Finnish record of 3:34.89 in the 1,500 meters in Troyes, France, on Sunday. The previous Finnish record was 3:35.20, set by Joonas Rinne in 2024.

Heikkinen finished fourth in the race, which was won by Spain's Ignacio Fontes in 3:33.42. "Zero wind, perfect conditions, a good rabbit," Heikkinen described his race in a statement. "The first 300 meters went well, then I let the pack get ahead of me unnecessarily. Before the last lap, I was quite far behind, but I managed to overtake the pack in the last 300 meters. On the final straight, I passed about four runners."

Heikkinen has reached peak condition this season after significant difficulties. The previous two years were completely lost due to a string of injuries. Heikkinen suffered from low bone density, leading to stress fractures. The excellent form is a surprise even to the athlete himself. "If someone had told me before the race in Lahti that I would now run record times, I wouldn't have believed it. I've said all along that training has gone well, but due to the long break from competition, I didn't have full confidence in my condition," he rejoiced in the statement.