Lappeenranta plans special reward for European marathon champion Alisa Vainio

Lappeenranta plans to honour marathon runner Alisa Vainio at a public celebration after her dominant victory in the women’s European marathon championships in Birmingham, Yle reports. The 28-year-old won gold on Sunday by almost five minutes.

The Lappeenranta city government decided on Monday to organise the celebration, but its date and the form of the award have not yet been confirmed.

“We will not reveal the award yet. The intention is to leave a small element of surprise for the public celebration,” Lappeenranta Mayor Tuomo Sallinen said.

The city may depart from its usual ways of recognising successful local athletes in Vainio’s case. It said her victory was exceptionally significant because she won gold in a sport with extremely strong international competition and brought Lappeenranta considerable international attention.

“It is exceptional for an athlete from Lappeenranta to produce one of the strongest Finnish sporting performances of all time,” Sallinen said.

Lappeenranta awarded Vainio 5,000 euros and a Lappeenranta coin last year for finishing fifth in the marathon at the Tokyo World Championships. Sallinen told Iltalehti over the weekend that possible awards for her European title could include money or a plot of land.

Several dates are also being considered for the celebration in consultation with Vainio.

Her athletics club, Lappeenrannan Urheilu-Miehet, is also planning to honour her. One possibility is to do so during the Lappeenranta Half running event on Saturday, August 22, depending on Vainio’s schedule and whether she takes part.

The event is being held for the third time and includes a half-marathon and a 10-kilometre race. Vainio has competed in it during the previous two years.

The club last received a championship medal before Vainio in 1984, when hammer thrower Juha Tiainen won gold and Arto Bryggare took bronze in the 110-metre hurdles at the Los Angeles Olympics.