JASON Lobo and Mark Brown returned outstanding results in the English National Cross Country Championships as they stepped up their bids for inclusion in this summer's Great Britain Olympic teams.

In the 12K senior men's race Jason was 36th improving from 64th in his first National last year. He has done more endurance work this year and has run in several cross country events. A fortnight ago he finished a strong 17th in the Elite 4K Reebok Challenge Race. The event was part of the Inter Counties itinerary at Nottingham and was a World Championship selection race.

Previously he had finished third in the Police National Championships at Bristol. Although he is Blackburn-based, and is a life member of Blackburn Harriers, he has been competing in southern races for the Belgrave club ended in the Southern Championships where he was 25th at a muddy Parliament Hill. During the track season he is hoping to convert his extra strength into 800m speed and qualify for his first Olympics after making his World Championship debut last year.

Mark was 190th in the National in a high class field of over 1,400 runners. He was Clayton Harriers first counter, and was third East Lancastrian after Jason and Scott Monk of Blackburn Harriers. Before the cross country season finishes, he has one further test - the World Championships for disabled athletes in Vilamoura, Portugal.

Since losing an arm several years ago, Mark has competed at the highest level in disabled Athletics. In 1996 he was the bronze medallist in the Marathon and was fourth in the 5K at the Paralympics in Atlanta.

In the World Championship Marathon at Birmingham in 1998 he was another bronze and also took the silver in the 5K. Last year he won the silver medal in the inaugural World Cross Country Championships and he returns to the same venue for this year's race on March 18. Jason is expected to compete in the slightly less exotic sounding Alf Aspinall Road Mile at Littleborough on Wednesday, March 15. Last year he ran a sub four minute mile, but was beaten into second place. Later in the spring he will also be travelling abroad.

Following the same tried and tested routine as last year he will be on an extended visit to South Africa to train in warm weather and at altitude in the Johannesburg area. This trip is becoming ever more popular and almost 20 athletes will be there this year including Rob Denmark and Keith Cullen. While in South Africa he has been invited to a 1500m race in Cape Town.

The London Marathon in April is Mark's trial for the Paralympics. Although he logged 2.40 in last year's Blackpool Marathon, and that is comfortably inside the 2.45 guideline set by the Paralympic Organising Committee, the athletes are funded by UK Athletics who have set a tougher limit of 2.35. This is because they have the funding for just 50 athletes and can only support genuine medal prospects. It is a daunting task as Mark needs to beat his personal best set at Blackpool. He hopes to compete in the 5000m as well and has just two months after London to impress the selectors.

Last year Jason had a hectic summer when he grabbed the last automatic place in the World Championship Trial by 100th of a second, then went on to earn the qualifying time by setting a personal best on the last day before the team was finalised. Last year's times count for Olympic qualification, so third in the trial on August 13 and proof of his form should suffice. The Olympics start on September 22 with the Parlaympics following on October 18.

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