Commonwealth and European Games marathon winner Hill dies aged 82

Former British marathon runner Ron Hill has died at the age of 82.

The 1969 European Athletics Championships marathon gold-medal winner was the second man to break the two hours and ten minutes barrier in the discipline.

The Accrington-born distance runner claimed marathon gold at the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.

In the same year, he became the first British runner to win the Boston Marathon, which he did in a course record time of 2:10:30, shattering the previous record by three minutes.

On the strength of those two victories, he was ranked as the top marathon runner of the year by Track & Field News.

Hill, pictured, ran two Olympic Games marathons – 1964 in Tokyo and 1972 in Munich – and achieved a personal marathon record of 2.09.28.

He set world records at three other distances, the first of which was in 1964 when he clocked 1:15:22.6 for 25 kilometres, eclipsing Emil Zatopek’s previous record by more than a minute. His other records were at ten miles and 15 miles.

Having gained a PHD in textile chemistry at the University of Manchester, in 1970 he founded a company called Ron Hill sports, which pioneered various products including wrap-over short, mesh vests, waterproof running vests and reflective strips.

He said he started the company “because I was running to and from work in the dark in winter and wondered what I needed to stay safe.”

Hill’s completed 115 marathons, his final one being the 100th Boston Marathon in 1996.

He also laid claim to the longest unbroken streak of running every day, that lasted 52 years and 39 days, from 1964 to 2017.

In 1971 he was awarded the Order of the British Empire for services to athletics.

Hill's clothing company Ronhill confirmed his death in a social media statement.

"It is with immense sadness we today mourn the passing of British running legend Dr Ron Hill MBE, our founder, our inspiration, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a runner.

"We send our thoughts to May, Graham, Steve and all the family at this time."