MARK Brown set an Australian All-Comers record when winning the 10,000 metres at the Southern Cross Games in Sydney.

His personal best time of 32.28, and his second place in the 5,000m would almost certainly earn him selection for the double in the Great Britain Para- lympic team, but having contested both events in Atlanta in 1996 where he won a bronze medal, he wants to run the marathon instead this time.

Mark, who lost an arm in a road accident some years ago, has just returned from a fortnight in Australia with a Great Britain squad preparing for next year's Paralympics which will be held in Sydney after the Olympic Games. In the first week they were based on the Gold Coast 70k from Brisbane at a camp which is used for acclimatisation and training prior to transfer to Sydney.

This same procedure will be used next year for both Olympic and Paralympic athletes. The area is a surfing resort, and the athletes had to take a minibus inland before they could find space to run. The Great Britain rugby league Lions were sharing the facilities, and the athletes met the players and were invited to the match against Australia. The Grandstand TV team were also present as a part of their build-up to the Olympics, the athletes were filmed training on a local golf course and Mark was interviewed for the programme. In Sydney, around 40 countries took part in the Southern Cross Games, but the British men still swept the board in the 5,000 metres. Winner was partially sighted athlete Noel Thatcher MBE, with Mark second and Mark Farrell third. However, Mark's real moment of glory came in the 10,000m where he pushed Thatcher into second place with Weldeck of Poland third.

Mark has recently given up his job as senior support worker at Calderstones, where he was head of the gymnasium, to take an HND in Sports Studies. The course is run by the University of Central Lancashire, but it is based at Burnley.

The course tutors are supportive of his athletic career, and he runs with two clubs, Clayton Harriers and Blackburn Harriers. In addition he gets substantial backing from UK Athletics who have nominated Sarah Rowell as his case officer. These days Sarah is better known as a top fell runner, but she is the former British marathon record holder, and she is helping to plot his course for Sydney.

Mark recorded 2:40.15 in August's Blackpool Marathon, and will run in London if required by the selectors. If it isn't necessary he wants to return to Australia to race over the Olympic marathon course in April.

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