MORPETH HARRIERS
  • HOME
  • News Update
  • About Us
    • Contact
  • NEW MEMBERS
  • Club Documents
  • Training
    • Andrew Dippie
    • Mark Brown
    • Chris Waugh
  • Fixtures
  • Gallery
  • Club Kit
  • Archive News
  • Blog
  • Features
  • Membership
  • Volunteers
  • Newsletters

News update

RON HILL, 1938-2021

24/5/2021

 
Picture
Morpeth Harriers are sad to hear of the passing of Ron Hill MBE, who has died at the age of 82.
 
 A former European and Commonwealth Marathon champion as well as being the first British runner to win the Boston Marathon, the Accrington-born athlete and proud Lancastrian also held at one time world records over 10 miles, 15 miles and 25 kilometres and competed in two Olympic Games.
 
Among his most memorable achievements was his time of 2 hours 9 minutes and 28 seconds set in Edinburgh’s Commonwealth Games in 1970, a race in which our own Jim Alder finished in 2nd place. Such was Hill’s performance that day that he went through 10k in 29:24 and was fully 8 minutes ahead of the world record at half way. He was the 2nd ever runner to break 2:10 for the distance and even today his time from over 50 years ago puts him in 12th place in the British all time performances.
 
Hill was also renowned for having run every single day for an astonishing total of 52 years and 39 days – till he was 78, in fact.
 
Holding a degree in textile chemistry, Hill would go on to found the sportswear company that still carries his name and whose logo is seen at races nationally.
 
His exploits are memorably captured in the two volumes of his autobiography The Long Hard Road, which meticulously record every race run and his mileage.
 
A team mate, room mate and often a fellow competitor, Jim Alder spoke generously and movingly of his great rival and friend: "He was a fabulous runner, and on his day, nobody could beat him – when he clicked, Bang! If he was fully right, he won. Although I raced him many times and sometimes beat him, he was the undisputed king of distance running in the 1960s."

Comments are closed.
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
© 2024 Morpeth Harriers & AC All Rights Reserved.
 Data Protection Policy.
  • HOME
  • News Update
  • About Us
    • Contact
  • NEW MEMBERS
  • Club Documents
  • Training
    • Andrew Dippie
    • Mark Brown
    • Chris Waugh
  • Fixtures
  • Gallery
  • Club Kit
  • Archive News
  • Blog
  • Features
  • Membership
  • Volunteers
  • Newsletters