Alan Helffrich

{{Short description|Athletics competitor}}

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{{MedalSport|Men's athletics}}

{{MedalCountry | the {{USA}} }}

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{{MedalGold|1924 Paris|4 × 400 metres relay}}

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Alan Boone Helffrich (August 7, 1900 – February 3, 1994) was an American athlete, winner of gold medal in 4 × 400 m relay at the 1924 Summer Olympics.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78545 |title=Alan Helffrich |work=Olympedia |access-date=27 September 2021}}

Born in Yonkers, New York, Alan Helffrich was one of America's greatest middle-distance runners in the 1920s. Helffrich won the AAU titles in 880 yd in 1921, 1922 and 1925. As a Pennsylvania State University student, he won the NCAA championships in 880 yd in 1922 and 1923 and IC4A championships in 880 yd in 1923 and in 440 yd in 1924.

At the Paris Olympics, Helffrich ran the final leg in the American 4 × 400 m relay team, which won the gold medal with a new world record of 3.16.0. Helffrich was the only runner to defeat Paavo Nurmi when the Finn toured the United States in 1925, scoring a victory in the half-mile run at the Yankee Stadium.{{cite news | newspaper=The Meriden Daily Journal | title=Alan Helffrich Hands Paavo Nurmi His First Defeat in Five Years | date=27 May 1925 | page=8 | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bbhIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eQENAAAAIBAJ&pg=1640,217515&dq=paavo-nurmi&hl=en | access-date=27 August 2012}} He ended Nurmi's 121-race win streak that had started in 1921.{{cite book | last=Raevuori | first=Antero | year=1997 | title=Paavo Nurmi, juoksijoiden kuningas | publisher=WSOY | edition=2nd | pages=433–439 | language=fi | isbn=978-9510218501}}

After his running career, Helffrich officiated at athletics meets in New York City from 1930 to 1955 and served, until his death at age 93, as president of the New York Chapter of the United States Olympians.