A BRIERLEY Hill mum will fulfil her last vow to her dying son by taking on a half-marathon in his memory this autumn.

Sandra Barnbrook, 51, will tackle the 13.1-mile Simplyhealth Great Birmingham Run in October in tribute to tragic son Stuart Pearson, who died of a brain tumour, aged just 32, last year.

Dad-of-one Stuart, who worked at Stourbridge company Garden Pleasure, had been training for last year’s first Birmingham International Marathon but died on October 1, 2017, one week before he was due to join the starting line.

“I said I’d run to the ends of the world for him,” remembers Sandra, “but he said ‘Mom, do the half marathon, that’s enough’. So, I’m doing the Great Birmingham Run for him.”

Despite having never run before, she decided to sign up for the Midlands’ biggest half marathon on Sunday, October 14, as a way of honouring her son’s memory.

The day Sandra set out in her trainers for her first run it was snowing but neither her lack of experience nor the weather put her off.

She said: “I realised I had started to do nothing other than sit around the house. I needed to do something that was going to make me feel better.

“When I am running I feel completely free; there is nothing else in the world, just me.

“That time away from everything and being outdoors has helped me focus on what has happened and it has helped me start to deal with my grief.”

She was soon running regular 5ks and over the last couple of months she has completed her first charity 10k.

Sandra is taking part in the Great Birmingham Run to raise funds and awareness for Mary Stevens Hospice and will be cheered on by her husband Andy.

“Stuart put up an amazing and brave battle, and was taken from us far too young,” says Sandra.

“He’d never smoked, he went to the gym and really lived life to the full. It was so, so sad.

“He was cared for by the team at Mary Stevens Hospice for his last five days and we couldn’t have got through that time without their support.

“This is my way of remembering my son and saying thank you to the staff for all their kindness.

“I don’t expect for a minute that I will run every step; I know that there will be sections where I will have to walk. I don’t care if I am the last person to finish, but I will finish and every step will be for Stuart.”

Ruth Longville, from the Mary Stevens Hospice fundraising team, said: “Thanks to the sheer determination, dedication and generosity of supporters such as Sandra, our patients and their families will continue to receive the level of care and support that we pride ourselves on being able to provide.

“For Sandra, knowing that she has contributed towards this is a perfect and fitting tribute to her wonderful son.”

To sign up for the run, visit greatrun.org/great-birmingham-run