Mike Barratt – 1932-2012

Middlesex County AA is sad to report the death of Mike Barratt on 15th November. Mike collapsed and died on Thursday afternoon after a short run from Lauriston Cottage on the edge of Wimbledon Common, a base from which he had enjoyed thousands of training runs over many years of his life. He had celebrated his 80th birthday less than three weeks previously.

Mike was one of Ealing’s finest ever athletes and someone who gave so much both to his club and to the sport in general in a career lasting almost 65 years. He had continued to be a familiar figure at cross country meetings after his racing days were finally over and had been in his usual place as the Ealing men’s team manager at the last Met League in Stevenage.

He will particularly be associated with the cross country side of the sport and represented Middlesex with great distinction at the intercounties championships. In a recent interview with Alastair Aitken he said ‘I guess the most important trophy to me must be the one that came as the greatest surprise. The Middlesex County Board presented me with a trophy, quite out of the blue, in recognition of my having run for them for so many years, 21 in fact in succession at the time’.