UKH

Sad passing of a fantastic runner, who also happened to give us veteran climbers some of the best trackie bottoms ever!

Was about to post a link to https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/may/23/ron-hill-former-british-marat... when I saw your post

RIP Ron

One of our greatest runners of all time, should have been given a knighthood.

RIP

Yes, he had a lovely running style. I ran a relay somewhere near to Leeds as a student in the mid seventies. 6 x 2 miles. Ron Hill ran all 6 legs and finished well up. 

RIP. A much under rated athlete, as well as setting fashion trends for the discerning outdoor gentleman.

Sad news indeed. 

I love my tracksters. 

A brilliant runner and, by all accounts, human. 

Sad news, I'll dig out my old Ronnies and wear them with pride at the wall, this week

another piece in the Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/may/23/ron-hill-obituary

He was a runners runner, used to pop up all loads of races from the cross country nationals down to the local fell races even in recent times.

He won the Nationals in 1966 and ran it every year until a very grim event at Alton Towers in 2011. My first, I lapped him. Got to know him through a few mutual friends, he loved to race, even when we was struggling to beat his 10k PB for 5k and finishing 3rd V70 or V75. Just a nice bloke, easy to forget what he had won and how fast he was.

+1

Just reread Bill Adcock's and Jim Adler's books will reread Rons two books the first is superb.

Gritty lads who just loved running.

I ran with him at my local Park Run in 2014. He opened his motivational speech to the crowd with the immortal lines "Right you lot, shut up!", which got a good laugh. He also kicked off the first marathon I ran, in Manchester. He was well known in at races the North West, back in the day. People I've met, said he used to run a race, then sell his 'high tech; clothing from the back of his car, spending a lot of time chatting with everyone.

RIP Ron.

I read both volumes of his "biography" when I was  a running nut. My second favourite running read. Did the Weets Fell Race and told a guy in the pub I was only there because Ron Hill had written about it. I was so disappointed when he said "Ah... the race Ron did was a different route."

Every time I see Jos Naylor he's wearing tracksters and a checked shirt. The coolest look in the English mountains!

RIP great man. 

Bill Rodgers is like this. He's at all local races, always chatting away, shaking hands. Brilliant guy, his enthusiasm for just running is awesome.

I've a friend in the running club who is a multiple time US international, multiple olympic marathon trials. He's in his 50's and is still running about 1:20 for a half. He's ran 100,000 lifetime miles. He's at every race going, I think he's ran Mount Washington road race 35 times. You get guys who are it for success and walk away from competing the moment their level drops but then guys who just keep going, still competing and getting beat even at advanced ages. I love their lack of ego.

I was working out the other night how many times I had raced Ron, or perhaps more accurately in the same race as him. About 50 times I think, mostly in local 5k races, but once at XC (2011 Nationals), I don’t think I every did a fell race with him. There were a couple of races put on each year in his honour, I know both race organisers. The organiser of his birthday race has put on something like 700 races over the last 30 year, I reckon Ron has run in at least of couple of hundred of them. I’ve got copies of the results from our club 10k from 1981, Dave Lewis won it in what is still a course record, Ron and Colin Robinson were battling for first V40.