The Tour 2026: Running for Ron

This year’s Tour - formerly known as the Tour of Tameside - will be a particularly poignant one, as we approach five years since the death of its founder, Ron Hill MBE. 

The inspirational runner, who sadly passed away in 2021 aged 82, set up the iconic event back in 1981, which went on to become known as one of the toughest challenges in British athletics. 

Born in Accrington, Ron spent the majority of his life in Tameside, and went on to be named a freeman of the borough in 2019. 

The Gee Cross icon captured the hearts of the running community throughout his career, namely with his exploits at the Tokyo and Munich Olympics, where he represented Great Britain in 1964 and 1972 respectively.  

Ron also won gold at the European Championships and Commonwealth Games, as well as coming out on top in one of the world’s most prestigious marathons. 

Smashing the course record with a time of 2:10:30, Ron became the first British runner to win the Boston Marathon, before beating his own record at the Commonwealth Games with a world record time of 2:09:28. 

Another incredible achievement saw The Tour founder run every day for an astounding 52 years and 39 days consecutively, a period which spanned between 1964 and 2017. 

By the age of 70, Ron boasted the feat of having raced in over 100 countries, including Panama and the Faroe Islands. 

Now, Ron’s legacy lives on through the fourth and final Tour race, the Dr Ron Hyde 7, which was named in his honour. 

This year’s Tour kicks off on Thursday June 18 with the X-Trail 10k, and is followed by Friday’s Hell on the Fell and Saturday’s Hero Half Marathon, before coming to a close with what promises to be an emotional Dr Ron Hill Hyde 7 on Sunday June 21. 

Tickets for The Tour 2026 are still available but are selling fast.  

To secure your place, visit: https://notreallyheremedia.niftyentries.com/The-Tour-2026