Marathon man Don dies at 88
Marathon man Don Bratt – who completed several ultra-distance runs despite being told he would only ever walk again with sticks – has died at the age of 88.
Lifelong West Bromwich Albion fan Don had lived in Bridgnorth for the past 33 years.
He hailed from Great Bridge but later settled in Kinver, before moving to Alveley and then Bridgnorth.
In a varied career he had been a sales rep, businessman and carpet fitter but his real passion, apart from Albion, was running.
He became serious about running after a horrific car accident near Alveley in 1979 which left him with a fractured and displaced hip, broken ribs, damaged ankle and a leg fractured in three places.
Fitness fanatic Don was told he would only walk again with the aid of sticks. But when a colleague bet him £50 he would not be able to complete the inaugural London Marathon on March 29, 1981, he accepted the wager.
Following surgery and a long period of rehabilitation and physiotherapy, the then 50-year-old began training on an exercise bike before hitting the streets. He ran the London Marathon, finishing in four hours and won the bet.
In the following years he ran more than 100 marathons, including three on consecutive weekends. One of his proudest achievements was when he cracked the three-hour barrier, finishing a marathon at Stratford-upon-Avon in two hours and 59 minutes. So 26.2 miles was no longer enough of a challenge, and in the 1980s and 90s Don notched up a series of gruelling ultra-runs whilst raising money for charities.
In 1985 Don and his brother completed the 1,000-mile Wolverhampton Millennium Run, from John O’Groats to Land’s End, and in 1986 the pair ran across Ireland. All three events raised money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
During the next 10 years, Don ran mainly for fun and fitness, taking part in several Bridgnorth Walks too.
Then, in 1997, he came out of ultra-run retirement to complete Alfred Wainwright’s 182-mile Coast to Coast path, from the North Sea at Robin Hood’s Bay to the Irish Sea, at St Bees, accompanied by Seisdon businessman Allen McDougall.
The pair raised £2,000 for the Haemophilia Society.
Don carried on running, raising money for causes such as the Bridgnorth Hospital League of Friends and a fibromyalgia charity by organising fun runs, including several which set off from the Bridgnorth Bylet Bowling Club, where he was a social member. During his time at the Bylet he founded the clubhouse’s ‘Baggies Corner’ for Albion fans (and the odd broadminded Wolves supporter) and was successful when inviting guests including Tony ‘Bomber’ Brown, Bob Taylor and Adrian Chiles.
Don Bratt, who died on March 7, is survived by his daughter, Tracy, and granddaughters Kryssa and Anya.
Unfortunately due to coronavirus restrictions Mr Bratt's funeral at Stourbridge Crematorium on April 1 will be for immediate family only.
