Ari Paunonen

Ari Paunonen (born 10 March 1958) is a Finnish male former middle- and long-distance runner who competed over distances from 800 metres up to 10,000 metres. His best international performances at a major event were bronze at the 1977 European Cup and fifth at the 1983 European Athletics Indoor Championships.[http://trackfield.brinkster.net/Profile.asp?ID=8134&Gender=M Ari Paunonen]. Track and Field Statistics. Retrieved 2018-05-20.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/epm.htm European Cup]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-05-20. He was also the 1500 m silver medallist at the Nordic Indoor Athletics Championships in 1986.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/nci.htm Nordic Indoor Championships]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-05-20.

His personal best time of 3:55.65 minutes for the mile run is a Finnish record. He also set a European under-20 record of 7:43.20 minutes for the 3000 metres in 1977.{{cite web|title=European Junior Records - Men|url=http://www.european-athletics.org/records/performances//tag=RECORDS.OUTDOOR.MEN.JUNIOR/records.html|publisher=EAA|date=30 October 2013|accessdate=4 February 2014}} As a junior athlete he won back-to-back 1500 m titles at the European Athletics Junior Championships in 1975 and 1977, as well as a junior race bronze at the 1977 IAAF World Cross Country Championships.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/xc.htm IAAF World Cross Country Championships]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-05-20.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/ejm.htm European Junior Championships (Men)]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-05-20. At national level he won a middle-distance double at the Finnish Athletics Championships in 1977, won a second 1500 m title in 1979 and took three short course cross country titles between 1977 and 1980.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/nc/fin.htm Finnish Championships]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-05-20. He was also a four-time national indoor champion.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/nc/fini.htm Finnish Indoor Championships]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-05-20.

Born in Sulkava, he later became editor of Juoksija, a Finnish sports and fitness magazine.{{cite news|author=Juha Kanerva|title=Tapio Pekolan elämä päättyi avustettuun itsemurhaan |url=https://www.is.fi/urheilulehti/parhaat/art-2000007859436.html|access-date=16 September 2021|work=Ilta Sanomat |agency=Urheilulehti|date=August 2021}} He married Alia Virkberg, also a former distance runner.