History

The 30th Annual Brian’s Run will take place on December 2nd, 2007 in West Chester, Pennsylvania at the West Chester University.

Brian’s Run began in 1978 as a one-time fund raising event to benefit Brian Bratcher, a West Chester Henderson High School football player who sustained a life-challenging spinal cord injury at the age of 15 during a scrimmage. Brian was paralyzed that year, and his friends, their parents and the community as a whole wanted to help. They organized a race and hoped to raise $500. That first year, 2,000 runners participated and the effort raised $20,000 to help Brian with his expenses. After 1979, Brian felt he had benefited enough from the proceeds and asked to have others benefit from the annual event. The race for years has raised funds for disabled people from the community who need help with physical mobility, seeing and communication.

West Chester University has hosted the event in recent years and the campus, as a whole, contributes thousands of hours to the effort. Hundreds of students work on race day, as student organizations designate Brian’s Run as one of their service efforts. Hundreds of University employees volunteer as well, printing registration forms, distributing race applications, handling traffic, acquiring financial support, and lodging for the elite runners who come from all over the country, and the myriad of details that go into organizing race day. Over the years, the race has been supported by many local organizations, including Rotary Clubs, Lions Clubs, West Chester Running Club and the West Chester Area School District.

Brian’s Run has raised more than $600,000 over the years, but for the first time in 1995 a new segment of the community benefited. When West Chester University offered to formally give Brian’s Run a home and assist with the year-round planning, the Brian’s Run Executive Committee decided to help students needing assistance. Portions of the money raised by the charity race are targeted to assist West Chester University physically challenged students needing assistance and physical equipment to complete their studies and maintain a good quality of life and disabled persons from the community continue to be eligible for funds as well.