Stockholm Olympic Stadium is a classic sports arena. Over the years, no less than 83 world records in athletics have been broken in the beautiful brick fortress. No other arena in the world comes close to this figure.

The Stadium was built between 1910 and 1912 on the initiative of the Swedish Central Association for Sport especially for the 1912 Summer Olympic Games which were held in Stockholm. The architect was Torben Grut.

The main arenas which were built for the Olympic Games in Paris 1900, St Louis 1904 and London 1908 had all been temporary arenas intended only for the Games. Originally something similar was planned for Stockholm, a temporary wooden arena, costing 300,000 crowns which would be financed be a lottery for the whole of Sweden organised by the Central Association.
The plans changed however and Torben Grut was commissioned by the Association to create a permanent stadium in cement, stone and brick.

Over the years a number of major sports events have taken place at Stockholm Stadium; Ice hockey World Championships, Swedish bandy finals, national football matches, equestrian World Championships, etc
In June 1956 the Olympic equestrian events took place at Stockholm Stadium. The Olympics were held that year in Melbourne but quarantine regulations made it impossible to take horses to Australia.

For almost one hundred years, track and field athletics has been one of the dominant sports in the Stockholm Olympic Stadium. The arena has hosted great athletics meetings, a series of national matches and many Swedish Championships. In 1958 the European Athletics Championships were staged in this beautiful arena.

Today, Stockholm Marathon and DN Galan are the major events which take place in the world’s finest athletics arena..

The Stadium is the homeground of Djurgårdens ’allsvenska’ (first division) football team.

The Olympic Stadium was renovated in 1990 and the concrete north stand which was built for the 1958 European Championships demolished. In its place a new grandstand was built in the same style as the original.

A complete list of all 83 world records broken at Stockholm Stadium can be found here.

 

The finish of Stockholm Marathon is in the Olympic stadium.

 

Organiser

 

World Records at Stockholm Stadium

 

1997	800m	Wilson Kipketer, DEN	(eq) 1.41.73
1993	10000m	Richard Chelimo, KEN	27.07.91
1990	Javelin	Steve Backley, GBR	89.58
1989	3000m Steeplechase	Peter Koech, KEN	8.05.35
1987	High Jump	Patrik Sjöberg, SWE	2.42
1986	5000m women	Ingrid Kristiansen, NOR	14.37.33
1984	10000m	Fernando Mamede, POR	27.13.81
1977	5000m	Dick Quax, NZL	13.12.9
1975	3000m Steeplechase	Anders Gärderud, SWE	8.09.8
1972	2 miles	Lasse Virén, FIN	8.14.0
1972	Javelin	Janis Lusis, URS	93.80
1972	Discus	Richard Bruch, SWE	(eg) 68.40
1968	3000m Steeplechase	Jouko Kuha, FIN	8.24.2
1967	880yards women	Judy Pollock, AUS	(eq) 2.02.0
1966	5000m	Ron Clarke, AUS	13.16.6
1966	3 miles	Ron Clarke, AUS	12.50.4
1961	3 miles	Murray Halberg, NZL	13.10.0
1949	4×1 mile	Gefle IF, SWE	16.42.8
1946	4x800m	SWE	7.29.0
1945	880yards women	Anna Larsson, SWE	2.15.6
1945	800m women	Anna Larsson, SWE	2.13.8
1944	2 miles	Gunder Hägg, SWE	8.42.8
1944	2 miles walk	Verner Hardmo, SWE	13.00.8
1943	3000m walk	Verner Hardmo, SWE	12.02.2
1942	3 miles	Gunder Hägg, SWE	13.35.4
1942	1 mile	Gunder Hägg, SWE	4.04.6
1942	3000m	Gunder Hägg, SWE	8.01.2
1942	1500m	Gunder Hägg, SWE	3.45.8
1942	1 mile	Arne Andersson, SWE	4.06.2
1942	2 miles	Gunder Hägg, SWE	8.47.8
1941	4×1 mile	Brandkårens IK , SWE	17.02.8
1941	1500m	Gunder Hägg, SWE	3.47.6
1940	3000m	Henry Jonsson (Kälarne), SWE	8.09.0
1938	Hammer	Erwin Blask, GER	59.00
1937	2000m	Henry Jonsson (Kälarne), SWE	5.18.4
1936	2 miles	Gunnar Höckert, FIN	8.57.4
1936	3000m	Gunnar Höckert, FIN	8.14.8
1936	800m	Glen Cunningham, USA	1.49.7
1934	400m Hurdles	Glenn Hardin, USA	50.6
1934	110m Hurdles	Percy Beard, USA	14.3
1934	500m	Benjamin Eastman, USA	1.02.8
1934	3000m	Henry Nielsen, DEN	8.18.4
1930	20000m	Paavo Nurmi, FIN	1.04.38.4
1930	80m Hurdles women	Maj Jacobsson, SWE	12.1
1929	120yards Hurdles	Eric Wennström, SWE	14.4
1929	110m Hurdles	Eric Wennström, SWE	14.4
1929	100m	Edward "Eddie" Tolan, USA	(eq) 10.4
1928	Javelin	Eric Lundqvist, SWE	71.01
1928	800m women	Inga Gentzel, SWE	2.20.4
1927	110m Hurdles	Sten Petterson, SWE	(eq) 14.8
1926	60m women	Marguerite Radideau, FR¤	(eq) 7.6
1926	3000m	Paavo Nurmi, FIN	8.20.4
1926	4x1500m	Turun Urhheiluliitto Turku, FIN	16.26.6
1925	2000m	Edvin Wide, SWE	5.26.0
1925	20000m	Vþinš Sipilþ, FIN	1.06.29.0
1923	3 miles	Paavo Nurmi, FIN	14.11.2
1923	1 mile	Paavo Nurmi, FIN	4.10.4
1923	1500m	Paavo Nurmi, FIN	3.53.0
1922	5000m	Paavo Nurmi, FIN	14.35.3
1922	500m	Sven Lundgren, SWE	1.05.5
1922	1000m	Sven Lundgren, SWE	2.28.6
1921	10000m	Paavo Nurmi, FIN	30.40.2
1920	100m	Jackson Scholz, USA	(eq) 10.6
1919	4x1500m	IK Gšta, SWE	16.40.2
1919	Javelin	Jonni Myyrþ, FIN	66.10
1918	3000m	John Zander, SWE	8.33.2
1918	2000m	John Zander, SWE	5.30.4
1918	1000m	Anatole Bolin, SWE	2.29.1
1917	1500m	John Zander, SWE	3.54.7
1913	15000m	Jean Bouin, FRA	47.18.6
1913	1 hour	Jean Bouin, FRA	19021.9m
1912	4x400m	USA	3.16.6
1912	400m	Charles Reidpath, USA	48.2
1912	3000m	Hannes Kolehmainen, FIN	8.36.9
1912	10000m walk	George Goulding, CAN	46.28.4
1912	5000m	Hannes Kolehmainen,FIN	14.36.6
1912	880yards	James (Ted) Meredith, USA	1.51.9
1912	800m	James (Ted) Meredith, USA	1.52.5
1912	4x100m	Germany	42.3
1912	100m	Donald Lippincott, USA	10.6
1912	Javelin	Eric lemming, SWE	62.32
1912	10000m	Hannes Kolehmainen, FIN	31.20.8