page_title: Turku
section_title: Sports
hierarchical_section_title: Turku / Sports
caption_attribution_description: English: Paavo Nurmi Marathon, 2007, Aurakatuaurakadun täydeltä
context_page_description: Turku is a city on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River, in the region of Finland Proper. The region was originally called Suomi, which later became the name for the whole country.
  It is unknown when Turku gained city rights. The Pope first mentioned the town Aboa in his Bulla in 1229 and the year is now used as the foundation year of the city.
  As the oldest town in the country, Turku is the most important city in Finland, a status it retained for hundreds of years throughout the centuries under the rule of the Kingdom of Sweden. After the Finnish war, Finland became an autonomous grand duchy of the Russian Empire under the direct rule of the Czar and the capital of the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland was moved to Helsinki.
  It was only after the last great fire in 1827 that most governmental institutions were moved to Helsinki along with the Academy of Turku founded in 1640, which then became the University of Helsinki.
  Turku continued to be the most populous city in Finland until the end of the 1840s, and it remains the regional capital and an important business and cultural center and port.
context_section_description: The city has two football teams playing at the top national level, the Veikkausliiga: FC Inter and TPS. TPS is one of the oldest football clubs in Finland. Both teams play their home matches at Veritas Stadion in the district of Kupittaa.
  HC TPS of Turku is one of the most successful teams in Finnish ice hockey history. It plays in the Finnish top league, SM-liiga. HC TPS has won the national championship 11 times, the latest being from season 2009–2010. Gatorade Center, formerly named HK Arena, located in the Artukainen district, is used as the venue for HC TPS games.
  The Paavo Nurmi Marathon is an annual sporting event in Turku, named after the world-famous runner Paavo Nurmi, who was born and raised in the city.
  Finland's most successful tennis player, Jarkko Nieminen, was born and lives in the neighbouring county of Masku
  Turku Titans is a lacrosse club based in Turku with a relevantly successful history with three silver medals and one gold medal in the national lacrosse league in Finland. The Titans women's team has also had a successful history. The FIL U19 2012 World Lacrosse Championships were also held in the city.
caption: Paavo Nurmi Marathon is run every summer.
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