Obituary | Ron Hill dies aged 82; the Olympic runner who holds the China Coast Marathon record

Ron Hill set the record in the China Coast Marathon at its first edition in 1981 and it has still never been bettered

While in Hong Kong, AVOHK set up a last minute race for him in Macau to help Hill achieve his 100 races in 100 countries before 70 ambition

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Ron Hill runs through Wan Chai streets in 2003 – he died aged 82. Photo: SCMP

Published: 2:03pm, 24 May 2021Updated: 4:08pm, 24 May 2021

British running legend Ron Hill died aged 82 after a long fight with dementia. Hill was only the second person to run a sub-two-hour-and-10-minute marathon, was a European and Commonwealth Games marathon champion and represented Britain in the marathon at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and 1972 Munich Olympics.

He visited Hong Kong in 1981 to run the inaugural China Coast Marathon. He won in 2:34, a time that has still not been bettered 40 years later, though the course has changed. The China Coast Marathon is organised by the Athletic Veterans of Hong Kong (AVOHK), and he was invited back as the guest of honour in 2003.

During his latter visit, Hill was in the midst of a goal to run in 100 countries before he turned 70. AVOHK got behind the goal and one of their members, Robert Kirby, hurriedly organised a race in Macau, named “The Ron Hill Macau 10k Invitation Challenge”. He went on to achieve his pre-70 goal.

Hill was the first Briton to win the Boston Marathon in 1970. Hill also ran the 10,000-metres at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968, and set world records in 10-mile, 15-mile and 25km race categories.

Ron Hill (back row, second from the right) ran in 100 countries before he turned 70. Photo: Handout

He ran every day from December 20, 1964 to January 31, 2017, even following a car crash in 1993 when he suffered a snapped sternum and spent a six-week period in a plaster cast following an operation on his feet, according to the BBC.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Obituary | Ron Hill dies aged 82; the Olympic runner who holds the China Coast Marathon record

Obituary | Ron Hill dies aged 82; the Olympic runner who holds the China Coast Marathon record