For the latest Tameside news sign up to the MyTameside newsletter here On Friday, Tameside paused and quietly mourned the loss of one of its most famous sons, Ron Hill.
It was fitting 26 runners from various athletics clubs jogged behind his hearse as it made its way from his home in Joel Lane, Gee Cross, to Dukinfield town hall for a minute's silence.
One runner for each mile of the event that made his name: the marathon. What he achieved as an amateur and then a businessman - without the backup team or science that propels today's professional athletes to ever greater heights - will probably never be surpassed.
He has joined the pantheon of long-distance running greats. The world of athletics paid tribute when it was announced three weeks
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