Ronald Hill

Ronald Hill was born in Accrington, Lancashire, and earned a doctorate in textile chemistry from the University of Manchester. Competing for Great Britain in three Olympic Games (1964, 1968, 1972), Hill won the gold medal in the marathon at the 1969 European Championships in Athens. In April 1970, he became the first Briton to win the Boston Marathon, shattering the course record by three minutes in 2:10:30, and captured gold at the 1970 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games in 2:09:28, the second-fastest marathon in history at the time.

Hill holds the most famous "run streak" in athletics history: running at least one mile every calendar day from December 20, 1964, until January 29, 2017—a streak of 52 years and 39 days that survived broken sternums, car crashes, and ankle surgeries. Utilizing his chemistry knowledge, he founded Ronhill Sports apparel, inventing synthetic wicking fabrics, side-split marathon shorts, and reflective safety gear that transformed modern athletic wear.