British marathon legend Ron Hill dies at 82

British marathon champion Ron Hill passed away on Sunday at the age of 82. Hill had many accomplishments to his name, both on and off the race course, including wins at the Boston Marathon and Commonwealth Games and the creation of the run clothing brand Ronhill. He had been suffering from dementia for several years. 

It is with immense sadness we today mourn the passing of British running legend Dr. Ron Hill M.B.E.
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Our founder, our inspiration, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a runner.
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We send our thoughts to May, Graham, Steve and all the family at this time #RonHill #RunningLegend pic.twitter.com/Hbpdvjg1IV

— Ronhill (@Ronhill_UK) May 23, 2021

Hill competed for Great Britain in three separate Olympic Games, starting in Tokyo in 1964. He raced the 10,000m and marathon that year, but he had yet to hit his stride as a top-end elite, and he finished 18th and 19th in the two races. In 1965, he etched his name in the history books, breaking a pair of Czech running legend Emil Zatopek‘s world records in one race, first at 15 miles (1:12:48.2) and then over 25,000m (1:15:22.6). 

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A few years later, Hill was left off the British marathon team at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, but he did race the 10,000m, improving on his performance from four years before and placing seventh. That same year, he broke two more world records, both over 10 miles, first running 47:02.2 and then 46:44.0. In 1969, Hill ran to one of the biggest wins of his career, taking the top spot at the European Marathon Championships in Athens.

In 1970, Hill added to his resume with wins at the Boston Marathon (where he set the course record with a 2:10:30 run) and the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. At the Commonwealth Games, he took the win in 2:09:28, which made him just the second man to break 2:10 in the marathon. Hill won bronze at the 1971 European Championships in Helsinki, and he closed out his Olympic career in 1972 in Munich, where he placed sixth in the marathon. 

We are very sorry to learn that our friend and legend Ron Hill has passed away. Thank you for everything Ron. You will be missed. Our thoughts to Ron’s family at this time. pic.twitter.com/jLNz8WGarL

— Manchester Marathon (@Marathon_Mcr) May 23, 2021

After his tremendous career as an elite, Hill didn’t stop running, and he instead proceeded to set a world record run streak of 52 years, 39 days. This streak started in 1964 and stretched all the way to 2017, when Hill was forced to take a day off at the age of 78 after experiencing chest pains on a run. 

Hill inspired generations of runners, and as Seb Coe, president of World Athletics and former British Olympian, said following the news of Hill’s passing, “His contribution to the classic distance is immense.”

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