Funeral held of Lancashire running legend Ron Hill

Accrington-born Ron died in May at the age of 82.

The former European and Commonwealth marathon champion was a proud member of Clayton le Moors Harriers.

Twenty six runners formed a guard of honour in Hyde, Cheshire, on Friday afternoon as fellow athletes and dignitaries paid warm tributes to Ron.

The veteran was a familar face at races across the North West long after his international athletics career ended.

He founded Ron Hill Sports, which became a much-loved brand, and did not miss a day of running for 52 years until ill health prevented him.

Ron's Freckleton Half Marathon triumph in 1969 was achieved in a course record time of 64mins 45secs, which still stands to this day.