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garycohenrunning.com
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"All in a Day’s Run" is for competitive runners,
fitness enthusiasts and anyone who needs a "spark" to get healthier by increasing exercise and eating more nutritionally.
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This is what the running elite has to say about "All in a Day's Run":
"Gary's experiences and thoughts are very entertaining, all levels of
runners can relate to them."
Brian Sell — 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathoner
"Each of Gary's essays is a short read with great information on training,
racing and nutrition."
Dave McGillivray — Boston Marathon Race Director
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| Ron Hill is a British distance running legend. In 1970, he became the first British runner to win the Boston Marathon. His time of 2:10:30 shattered the course record by three minutes. Three months later in July, at the British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, he became the second man ever to break the 2:10 barrier, clocking 2:09:28. Hill represented Great Britain at three Olympic Games in 1964, 1968 and 1972, finishing sixth in the 1972 Olympic Marathon. He broke World Records four times at distances ranging from 10 miles to 25 kilometers. During his career he completed 115 Marathons including 112 under 2:50, 103 under 2:45 and 29 under 2:20. He won the 1969 European Championships Marathon and 1966 English Cross-Country Championships. Hill has built a running streak as he has not missed a day of running since December, 1964. In 2007 he surpassed 150,000 miles since he started running and in 2008 he met a goal of running a race in one hundred different countries by his 70th birthday. With a PhD in textile chemistry he has established two companies, Ron Hill Sports and Hilly Clothing. Ron has a great blog at www.hillyclothing.co.uk |
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| GCR: | Other than winning the Olympic Marathon, a Boston Marathon victory is arguably the most prestigious marathon championship. What were your thoughts in 1970 as you set out from Hopkinton toward Boston with this goal in mind? |
| RH | In the UK in 1969, we regarded the European Championships then the British Commonwealth Games as next down from the Olympics. The Boston was normally out of reach of our top runners as there were no invitations in those days. I was only there in 1970 as the RRC of Great Britain asked for cash donations from its members to raise my airfare after winning the European Marathon in Athens in 1969. My thoughts setting out in 1970 were open. I wanted to try to win the race but was up against Jerome Drayton who had beaten me in Fukuoka the previous December. I was confident that I had my peaking strategy perfected and would just have to see how the race unfolded. My other thought was,' What a horrible day it is, cold, wet, and a head wind.' |
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| GCR: | Canada’s Jerome Drayton battled with you for the first ten miles before dropping out and leaving you running solo the final 16 miles. Were their many weak moments and low points or did you feel mostly strong the whole way |
| RH | I dropped Jerome before five miles but he came back again. He faltered again at around 10 miles and I actually slowed as I didn't fancy running the last 16 miles alone but I did not see him again and pressed on. I was good going into the Newton Hills and with calls of, 'Half a mile ahead.' I thought I had the race in the bag. At the top of the last hill the calls were, '200 yards ahead.' Jock Semple shouted to me, 'You’re 26 seconds ahead and Eamonn O'Reilly is coming up fast.' I'd never heard of him. I was not going to let this one go. Fear took over; the adrenaline flowed, and I went on to win but only by 42 seconds. |
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| GCR: | You broke the Boston Marathon course record by a whopping three minutes while winning by nearly a full minute. How did the joy of winning the 'Granddaddy of all Marathons' with such an unprecedented performance compare to the excitement of being the first Brit to claim the Boston Marathon laurel wreath? |
| RH | I was overjoyed to win and become the first Briton to succeed. But what was more amazing was the time. We didn't wear watches in those days as they were made of metal and too heavy. The splits were meaningless to me and there was no clock at the finish line. It was only later that I was told that I ran 2:10:31, which was a Course Record. I was so proud. |
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| GCR: | At the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh you joined Derek Clayton as the second runner to break 2:10 in the marathon with your 2:09:28 win. How did the significance of the championship and time compare to your Boston marathon win three months earlier? |
| RH | To break 2:10 was another surprise and along with the title a great joy. I felt that I had come to do a job, win the Gold, which I did and honestly felt I would run faster times. But those were amateur days I ran to work and back for training. My boss did not like me taking time off even for major championships and the British selectors never had faith in me, making me run trials for major games even after my 2:10. I was told that I would have to do the trial race for the European Championships in Helsinki in 1971. When I asked to be given a place without having to do the trial, I was told that my 2:10 in Edinburgh the previous year, percentage wise was not much better than the second runner's 2:12. I won the trial in 2:12, got injured and took only a bronze in Helsinki. |
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| GCR: | Your first 10km in Edinburgh was clocked in 29:24 which translates to 2:04 marathon pace. What do you speculate that a bit more conservative pace would have had on your final time? We will never know, but do you think you were in good enough form to challenge Derek Clayton’s Word Record? |
| RH | I guess part of this answer is above. In a championship race like that it was all about winning the race There were no pace makers. Usually the last runner not to fall back won the race - a race of attrition if you will. Both Derek Clayton and Jerome Drayton dropped out of the race in Edinburgh. As far as the World Record, I maintain that I was the first man to run under 2:10 on a full, properly measured marathon course. I would point you to RRCA FOOTNOTES, 8, No.3, Fall 1980 for opinions on Derek Clayton's 2:08:34. His previous 2:09 was in Fukuoka in 1967 and I understand that when the course was measured again in 1970 it was found to be 200m short. Derek never beat me in a marathon race. |
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| GCR: | Track and Field News has established itself as the 'Bible of the Sport' over the past 60 plus years. How big of an honor was it to be recognized by TFN as the top marathoner of the year for 1970 based on your two important wins at the Boston and British Commonwealth Games marathons? |
| RH | It was a great honour but at the time hardly anyone in the UK knew of Track and Field News. |
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| GCR: | You had a thrilling come-from-behind win at the 1969 European Championships Marathon on the original marathon course in Greece when you passed Gaston Roelants with less than a kilometer to go. How exciting was this win when you combine the title, course and way you won? |
| RH | This was probably the greatest experience of my life. I had been to the European Games in 1962 and 1966, the Commonwealth Games 1966 and the Olympic Games 1964 and 1968 and won nothing. After 20 miles on the Marathon to Athens course I crested the last hill and shortly after passed Jim Alder. I thought,' If I can hang on to this, I have a silver medal. Great.' I could not see the leader. Later I caught sight of red lights, far away down the road, and realized that this was the lead entourage. I kept striding and got closer and closer. But I was tired and at one point thought, 'Keep going, Gaston, or I am going to have to make an effort.' But he was slowing and at 41K I caught him. I was not sure what to do. I thought, 'Should I sit in behind and try to outsprint him or go straight past?' I chose the latter and never looked back as I was in fear of him responding. But he didn't and I swept into the ancient stadium, built for the revived Olympics in 1896 to take a surprise Gold in front of a huge crowd and, more importantly, my mother and father, my wife May and my two young sons, Steven and Graham. What a feeling! |
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| GCR: | Your first success in the marathon was winning the Liverpool City marathon in August 1961. Despite a longest run of 15 miles you averaged about 5:30 pace with your 2:24:22 effort. How did this victory change your thinking from focusing on cross-country and track races to wondering what type of marathon runner you would be with more specific training? |
| RH | I don't think it changed my thinking very much. Before that my weekly long run was only 11 miles. I had raced the 13-mile Ben Nevis mountain race in Sep, 1959, a 15.4 mile road race in July 1960, the Ben Nevis again in 1960, and the 'Three Peaks' hill, cross-country 22-miler in April of 1961. Until June 1962 my longest training run continued to be 11 miles but was sufficient for me to win the Polytechnic Marathon in 2:21:59. That got me to the European Championships in September, where I got a DNF. In the next nine months I did a couple of 18.5 milers but the rest of the time my long run was 11 miles. But that was good enough for me to finish second to Buddy Edelen's World Record in the Poly Marathon in June 1963, my time being 2:18:06. In October of that year I stepped up to a weekly 14 mile long run and in January 1964 started going even further with 23 miles. What the Liverpool race had done was create an interest in the marathon. I was so sore after it I swore never to do another, but the interest from the media made me feel good and I kept it in my repertoire. I was still very keen on track and cross-country as at that time I had never made the England team. I did in 1962 and was on the victorious team. I just let things happen and never thought about specific training for the marathon. Maybe at the start of 1964 I began to think longer runs would help, but they would also help my capabilities at cross-country and track. On March 21st, 1964 I got second place in the International Cross-Country Championships in Dublin. On March 30th I won the Beverly Marathon on a really tough course, in 2:19:37. May 30th I broke the course record in the Pembroke 20 mile road race with 1:40:55, just under 5:03 miling, and on June 13th ran 2:14:12 in the Poly Marathon, only to finish second once more, after being misdirected whilst in the lead, this time to another World Record, 2:13:55 by Basil Heatley. That year I had a disastrous Olympics in Tokyo at 10,000m and the marathon, which rather knocked my confidence. Luckily I have my training logs going back to Sep. 1956. I have never before looked at my progression to longer training runs.
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| GCR: | Based on your tremendous marathon racing success in 1969 and 1970 you arrived at the 1972 Munich Olympics as one of the favorites to win a medal, possibly even to take home the gold. When it was apparent that you weren’t going to achieve a medal of any color, how difficult was it to just run in to your sixth place finish amidst your disappointment? |
| RH | I knew after the two laps of the track that it was going to be difficult. I had nothing in my legs compared to my runs in 1970 and 1972. At half way I was 13th, I think, the leaders were out of sight. But after dropping out of the European Games in 1962, I had vowed that I would never drop out again and that I would fight for every for every position, which is what I did. Dropping out was NOT an option. |
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| GCR: | In hindsight what could you have done different in your Olympic Marathon training and race preparation that would have allowed you to be more ‘on your game’? |
| RH | I would not have gone to altitude in St. Moritz to train. Plus I would not have done the glycogen loading diet to destruction. The science of this was not understood fully at the time and four days with zero carbohydrate used up some of my fat reserves and almost certainly damaged my muscles. I tell people now, 'Don't do anything different in your training before a major games to what you did in getting there.' |
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| GCR: | At the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, you placed 18th in the 10000 meters and 19th in the marathon. Did you enjoy your first Olympic experience and complement your competition by attending opening and closing ceremonies and watching other sporting events? Did it leave you hungry for greater Olympic success in the future? |
| RH | It was an interesting experience being in Tokyo, but I did not respond well to being away from home for such a long period, being married and with a young child. Plus as an amateur, with a full time job, I did not have the experience of running on the world stage. I was so petrified before the start of the 10,000m my legs would hardly move. I knew I could do better and shortly after started my streak of twice a day running, once on Sundays, which I maintained for 26.2 years without missing a run, before dropping to once a day. |
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| GCR: | In the 1968 Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City you placed seventh in the 10000 meters after leading with five laps to go before altitude specialists took control of the race. Were you pleased with that effort and how did the altitude affect you? |
| RH | I was very pleased with my effort. I was in the form of my life. On my 7th day in Mexico I ran a 20-miler, up to 10,000ft and back with no problems. On the 12th day I ran a 'friendly' 5K track race and ran faster than our 5K specialists ran in the Games themselves. After 14 days I ran 20 miles again. The 10,000 meter race was on my 21st day in Mexico. The next day I ran 20 miles and felt great. If I had been in the Marathon I think I would have won a medal. In the previous May I had run 1:36:28 for 20 miles but I don't think our selectors even noticed! |
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| GCR: | Most top distance runners show natural ability at an early age. What are some fond memories of cross-country races at Accrington Grammar School? And what’s this about Alf Tupper, a fictional hero of boys' comics, inspiring you? |
| RH | Alf Tupper lived in a Northern England town and was a runner. I too lived in a Northern town. We were very poor. Our house was an up and down terraced house with no bathroom and a toilet at the bottom of the back yard. The story was in a weekly comic. Alf was very poor, did not have contact with his parents and had few friends. He lived rough; under railway arches and once on a disused canal barge. The athletics officials did not like him. He trained at night in the ill-lit streets. Whenever there was a big race there were problems. But Alf would overcome these and often in competition with University runners and a Kenyan he would win. I could identify with Alf and admired his loner's determination to succeed. I was the only person in my school that looked forward to the annual, compulsory cross-country race. In my first year I was 10th so I guess for my age that put me into the top 5% of that population on natural ability as none of us trained. In the next 7 years I grew to become team captain and our course record holder. It was a tough hilly course that visiting teams did not enjoy. |
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| GCR: | You started training more seriously at Manchester University in 1957. What did you do to ‘kick your training up a notch’ and what were some of your notable race performances? |
| RH | I began to talk to other runners about training and we did some sessions together. I had begun my training log by then and could look back and learn. I started to do some interval work. Because I did not seem to recover from a good weekend race to the next, I started to run twice a day with pre-breakfast 3 mile runs. In the first year I went from 3rd team at cross-country to 2nd team, then first team and eventually won the club championship which I repeated for the following five years. I also broke the record for our three lap, 10K course several times. Additionally, I succeeded on the track after going to university. As mentioned previously I was on the winning team in the International Cross-country Championships in 1962 in Sheffield, England. Cross-Country was my first love. I won the English Championship in 1966, which I rank in my top four running experiences, and won it again in 1968. I was second in the International twice; 1964, Dublin and 1968, Tunisia, when Mohammed Gammoudi beat me by 1.4 seconds. I was on five other winning England teams in 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, and 1968, and was Captain of the team on the last four occasions. |
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| GCR: | Your final marathon of 115 completed was the 100th anniversary Boston Marathon in 1996. Is there any chance you will run another marathon in the future or is it best to forever have this anniversary race as your last? |
| RH | That was my last marathon and I had waited 4 years to coincide with the 100th Boston. |
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| GCR: | On December 20, 1964 you started a streak in which you have not missed a day of running at least one mile. Is this a bit obsessive or even unhealthy to run through injuries, surgeries and illness? Will you ever end the streak voluntarily? What is the streak’s significance? |
| RH | Many people call this obsessive but I reply that it is a challenge and I will respond to that challenge. As to unhealthy, I don't think it has done me any harm and the mental attitude of not letting adversity beat me has been extremely positive. Regarding injuries, I think I have been lucky in that my strategy of running less and more slowly, within a reasonable pain barrier, but getting good circulation to the injured area has paid off. I will never end the streak voluntarily. The significance is that it is my challenge; it gets me out of the door every morning and it is good for my physical and mental health which I can monitor on a daily basis. It also warns me off doing anything to excess: eating, drinking or late nights. |
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| GCR: | In late 2007 you surpassed 150,000 miles of running which would be six times around the earth at the equator (if you could run on water!) Does this astonish you and could you have imagined this when you started running with the Clayton-le-Moors Harriers in 1953 at age 14? |
| RH | I never set out to do any of those things and as a boy without success I never dreamed of doing the things I have done. But without those rewards early on I remained true to my sport as I still do today. |
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| GCR: | You have competed extensively internationally and achieved a goal of racing in over 100 different countries before your 70th birthday in September, 2008. What are some of the favorite countries you’ve visited and do you have any countries that are still on your ‘to do’ list? |
| RH | The USA is a vast and diverse country and I have enjoyed running there many times. I once wanted to have raced in every state, no matter what the distance, but I doubt if I will ever have the time to do that now. We visit the Greek Islands a lot and I love to run there. I raced in Jordan and we went to see the 'lost' city of Petra; in Peru, after which we went to see Machu Piccu; and in Cambodia where the race started at dawn in front of the great temple at Ankgor Wat. I would like to race in India, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Albania, more Central American countries, Bangladesh, Burma, Dominican Republic, St. Lucia, Haiti, Iran and perhaps Iraq and Afghanistan, if only there were peace there. |
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| GCR: | The PhD you earned in textile chemistry was instrumental in your forming Ron Hill Sports in 1970 and pioneering the usage of synthetic materials in running clothing. What are some of the significant contributions your company and its successor, Hilly Clothing, have made with regard to running apparel? |
| RH | I pioneered waterproof jackets for runners as something like that I needed for running to work and back for training, especially in winter. Similarly I was the first to put reflective stripes on garments for night time visibility and safety. I designed the 'split' short, produced gloves designed for runners and fabricated a special running pant which has sold millions. Ron Hill Sports is not my company anymore; I lost it in the recession of the early nineties, thus I am not a millionaire. But I am fit and healthy and happily married for over 49 years and that is worth a lot. Hilly clothing we believe is the leading running sock brand in the UK and is still growing, even in these difficult economic times. I have used my extensive knowledge and experience of textile yarns to create a range which work well and runners obviously like. |
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| GCR: | How has your running career affected and contributed to your family life? |
| RH | My wife has only known me as a runner and overall I feel that my running has had a positive affect on our lives. I have been a good example to them. My wife ran London Marathon at the age of 51 in 4:22. Her biggest training week was 18 miles. She has raced with me all over the world. Now she walks every day, realizing the benefits of exercise. My younger son, Graham, won a marathon in Leeds a few years back in 2:23 then got a knee injury which he has been unable to get rid of. Our elder son uses running as part of his fitness regime. They both love to travel. I think that came about through our travels together for racing over the years. Finally, I hope they took pleasure from witnessing my victories in Athens and Edinburgh. |
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| GCR: | After 55 years of running more than 150,000 miles in over 100 countries how is your overall health and fitness? What does the future hold for you both personally and with your running? Do you have any goals for your golden years? |
| RH | My overall health is great. I weigh the same as when I was 21 years old. My knees and hips are holding out. I sleep well I don't get head-aches. And I can run! In the future I will look to find new races and hopefully a few new countries. My next goal is to reach 250,000 Kilometers of running - that's about 155,350 miles, but I'm in no hurry. At 70 I tried to drop to 20 miles per week but I seem to have stabilized at 25 mpw. |
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| | Inside Stuff |
| Hobbies/Interests | Gardening and travel |
| Nicknames | Ronnie. In the late sixties one newspaper used to call me ‘The barefoot bantam from Bolton’ |
| Favorite movies | None |
| Favorite TV shows | Travel documentaries. Definitely no soaps! |
| Favorite songs | ‘Yesterday’ by the Beatles |
| Favorite books | I'm just reading ‘Zatopek,’ a classic. |
| First car | Austin A35 van |
| Current car | Ford Galaxy diesel |
| First job | Research textile chemist |
| Family, Children and Siblings | Mother and father passed away. Ditto May's parents. Two sons - Steven born in 1963 and Graham born in 1965. Two brothers I very rarely see |
| Pets | When we are at home our next door neighbor's cat, Charly, lives with us |
| Favorite meal | Fish, chips and mushy peas. A la Alf Tupper, I've had this every Thursday since I was about 10, currently from a Chinese Chippy in Hyde, named Kong's |
| Favorite breakfast | Poached egg on toast plus spinach. I alternate with muesli plus extra nuts and dried fruit plus sugar, milk and banana |
| Favorite beer and beverages | Lager at home, ‘bitter’ in a pub, red wine, Niersteiner German white wine, vodka martini, etc |
| First running memory | First school cross-country 1951 |
| Running heroes | None, other than Alf Tupper. But I have some great and talented friends from the past |
| Greatest running moment | Athens, 1969 when I won the European Championship Marathon |
| Worst running moment | Munich, 1972 when I finished a disappointing sixth in the marathon |
| Childhood dreams | Survival |
| Funny memories | At a lunch the day after England won the International Cross-Country Championships in Tunisia in 1968, one of our runners, Roy Fowler, began to ply our waiter with duty free whisky. Eventually the guy got very drunk and arriving with several bowls of soup, managed to drop one on Bill Adcocks, spilling the contents all over his England blazer. Bill went mad, jumping up and shouting at the top of his voice. It was so funny, but none of us dared to laugh. He refused to get on the plane home until the ECCU had promised to pay for his blazer being cleaned |
| Embarrassing moment | In November 2000 I'd finished writing a book, ‘Manchester Marathons 1908 to 2002.’ It had been a really stressful time re-writing my co-author's chapters. I went to Benidorm in Spain to run a 1/2 marathon and stayed in an all inclusive hotel which meant all the drinks were free. The spirits were obviously watered down and, having tried a few, I ended up with 1/2 a pint of neat brandy. That hit the spot. I went to bed and was flat out immediately. The next thing I remember I am outside the door to the room, opposite the lifts in a skimpy pair of underpants. The door was locked and any amount of knocking could not awaken May. Nobody would lend me a towel and I must have been there an hour before someone must have telephoned the room to awaken May |
| Favorite places to travel | The Greek Islands |
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