Odd Rasdal (6 July 1911 – 4 March 1985) was a Norwegian long-distance runner who specialized in the

10,000 metres The 10,000 metres or the 10,000-metre run is a common long-distance track running event. The event is part of the athletics programme at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships, and is common at championship-level events. The ...

. At the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XI Olympiad () and officially branded as Berlin 1936, were an international multi-sport event held from 1 to 16 August 1936 in Berlin, then capital of Nazi Germany. Berlin won the bid to ...

he finished ninth in the 10,000 m final in 31:40.4 minutes. He again finished ninth at the 1938 European Championships. He became Norwegian champion in both 5000 and 10,000 metres in the years 1937–1939, and in

cross-country running Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open cou ...

in the years 1935–1939. He represented

TIF Viking Turn & Idrettsforeningen Viking is a Norwegian sports club from Bergenhus, Bergen. It has sections for gymnastics, athletics, race walking, orienteering, volleyball, handball and skiing. It was founded on 17 May 1892 as ''IK Viking'', but later ...

Bergen Bergen (, ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, second-largest city in Norway after the capital Oslo. By May 20 ...

. The Norwegian championships were not held from 1940 to 1945 due to

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. His personal best time over 10,000 metres was 31:02.4 minutes, achieved in September 1939 in

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

. He held Norwegian records in 10,000 as well as

5000 5000 or ''variation'', may refer to: In general * A.D. 5000, the last year of the 5th millennium CE * 5000 BCE, a year in the 5th millennium BC * 5000s AD, a decade, century, millennium in the 6th millennium CE * 5000s BCE, a decade, century, mil ...

and

3000 metres The 3000 metres or 3000-metre run is a track running event, also commonly known as the "3K" or "3K run", where 7.5 laps are run around an outdoor 400 m track, or 15 laps around a 200 m indoor track. It is debated whether the 3000 m sho ...

. After retiring he continued as an athletics administrator. He was a deputy board member of the

Norwegian Athletics Association The Norwegian Athletics Association (, NFIF) is the national governing body for the sport of athletics in Norway, including track and field, road running, cross country running and racewalking. The association is a member of the Norwegian Olymp ...

from 1951 through 1952 and a board member from 1953 through 1954. He was given the

King's Medal of Merit The King's Medal of Merit (Norwegian: ''Kongens fortjenstmedalje'') is a Norwegian award. It was instituted in 1908 to reward meritorious achievements in the fields of art, science, business, and public service. It is divided in two classes: gold ...

in 1971. He died in 1985.

References

1911 births 1985 deaths Norwegian male long-distance runners Athletes (track and field) at the 1936 Summer Olympics Olympic athletes for Norway Athletes from Bergen Norwegian sports executives and administrators Recipients of the King's Medal of Merit 20th-century Norwegian sportsmen {{Norway-athletics-bio-stub