Marathon man, 78, stops daily run for first time in 52 years

A former Olympian - who ran every day for 52 years - has taken a day off due to ill health.

Ron Hill, 78, a former European and Commonwealth marathon champion, has run for 19,032 consecutive days - stretching back to December 1964.

A message on Facebook read: "The worlds greatest run streaker ends his streak. Due to ill health Ron has decided to take a day off.

"Streak total : 52 years & 39 days. Congratulations to Ron!"

Ron Hill won the Commonwealth Games marathon in a record time of 2:09.28 in 1970. Credit: PA

Lancashire-born Mr Hill competed in three Olympic Games; Tokyo in 1964, Mexico in 1968 and Munich in 1972.

By 2004 he had completed 115 marathons, according to British Athletics.

His last was Boston in 1996 - the only run he did not finish under two hours, 52 minutes.

The former textile chemist gave his name to a successful sportswear brand in September 1970, which has been a favourite for running enthusiasts ever since.