[1] The opera deals with the life of the Finnish middle- and long-distance runner Paavo Nurmi who won a total of nine Olympic gold medals in the 1920s.
The title refers to Nurmi's great ambition to win the marathon race at the 1940 Helsinki Olympics, which were not held because of the outbreak of World War II.
The original premier date was 10 August, but the first performance was cancelled in April due to the simultaneous Tina Turner concert in the nearby Finnair Stadium.
Music was performed by Sinfonia Finlandia and the official representative band of the Finnish Army, Kaartin Soittokunta.
[4] The spectacular open-air show included special effects like burning haystacks, a real army helicopter and armored vehicles.