Don Gehrmann’s granddaughter was over to his house the other day, having fun on the computer, when she asked him to come look at a link she had called up on the screen.
Gehrmann, 81, is probably the most legendary Wisconsin athlete you don’t know. That’s because since Gehrmann retired from competition more than half a century ago, he has kept a low profile.
Even in his home off of Cottage Grove Road, the trophies and press clippings are downstairs. Yet the story they tell is worthy of trumpets: Don Gehrmann was one of the great runners in U.S. history, a world-record setter, a phenomenal miler who competed in the Olympics and won 10 Big Ten track titles while running for the Badgers.