Brown gets Great Britain call

It will be his third appearance at the Games following Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in Millennium year.

In both previous events he has won medals over the marathon distance, with silver in Australia following bronze four years earlier.

The 42-year-old arm amputee from Burnley had been hoping to finish his career with a gold medal at the home of the marathon, but unfortunately for him there will be no race for his disability this time so he will be competing in the 5,000 metres instead.

Brown has already announced that the Paralympics will mark his international swansong after a glittering career in which he has won eight medals at European, World or Paralympic level.

Last year he was honoured by being judged the Grassroots Champion in the Pride of East Lancashire Awards promoted by the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

The award was sponsored by Blackburn Rovers.

At his age, it will be difficult for Brown to win a medal at such a relatively short distance, and he feels that he will need to run a personal best time of around 15:10 to add to his tally.

The 5,000m hadn't been kind to him with three fourth places and just one silver medal in the World Championships of 1998 to his credit, but last year he put the disappointments behind him to win the European Championship in Assen, Holland.

It was his first major gold medal and he reduced his PB by 28 seconds to clock 15:25.

While not having been chosen for his preferred event, he is grateful to retain the confidence of the selectors with the Paralympic party having been squeezed down to only 35 athletes this time around.

He is determined to give it his best shot and he is recruiting the help of his Blackburn Harrier club-mates to plot his best path to Greece.

Coach Arthur Almond has the distance men flying at the moment, and several are even faster than Brown.

The squad of Liam Barton, Chris Hart, Michael Hammer, Richard Thomas, Scott Monk and Chorley Harrier Richard Burney recently has been bolstered by the return of students Ben Fish from America and Tom Cornthwaite from Newcastle, and the group can be sure to test him.

The plan is to split his time between his training base in Gibraltar, where the weather is similar to Athens, and back home where he can hone his speed with hard races at the BMC meetings.

Already Mark has spent time warm weather training at Paphos in Cyprus with the other endurance athletes in the Paralympic party where they rubbed shoulders with the likes of Ashia Hansen, Mark Lewis Francis and Iwan Thomas.

They will go out there again a fortnight before the Games.

Home sweet home for Harriers

BLACKBURN Harriers made home advantage count when they won their Northern League Match at Witton Park on Saturday.

The result reverses their defeat against Trafford in the opening match to leave the clubs tied at the top of Division 2W.

England cross country international Pauline Powell was the undoubted star for the women as she won the 1500m and 3,000m in brisk times of 4:41.7 and 9:47.8.

Rachel Coar accumulated points for the cause in five events including two victories, while her second in the pole vault was a personal best of 2.10m.

Liam Barton and Chris Hart shared A and B string victories in the 400m hurdles and 3,000m steeplechase, while Michael Hammer clocked a winning 15:00.7 in the 5,000m.

Hyndburn AC were fifth on the day in their Division 4W fixture at Wigan.

Caroline Smithson won the A string 100m, high jump and long jump as Nicola Breaks added two more victories in the A javelin and triple jump. Club coach Don Lennon led by example with first in the steeplechase.

Rossendale added their second successive runners up spot in Division 4WC, and with two different winners it is all to play for at the top of the table.

Thrower Gavin Barker won the A discus and shot with respective distances of 25.27m and 9.79m, while Melanie Briggs set a club record 16.34m in the hammer.

There were successful debuts for Laura Fitton and Isobel Lothian, while Fran Aspinall competed in the 100m, sprint relay and long jump although she is in her fifties and is a former cancer sufferer.

In the same match Burnley had six different winners as they placed fifth of six.

Star man Danny Whittaker clocked 10.9 seconds in the 100m, while sisters Dannielle and Alexis Walker won the 800m and javelin events.

Laura's joy

LAURA Finucane has set a Pendle Club record 53.45 seconds for the 400 metres while competing for Great Britain Under 20s at the Loughborough International on Sunday.

Her performance reinforced her position at the top of the UK under 20 rankings for the season and lifted her to equal twelfth in the all time list.

More importantly, the time was inside the qualifying standard for the World Junior Championships to be held in Grosseto, Italy, from July 13-18.

It was her second qualifying mark in a week after previously clocking 2:05.79 for the 800m.

Finucane also ran the first stage in the 4x400m relay at Loughborough as the team recorded 3:35.78 to go sixth in the all-time junior standings.

Torch bearer

ANDY O'Sullivan has been chosen to carry the Olympic Torch in London on June 26.

The 51-year-old organises races in the Rossendale area raising thousands of pounds for charity.

He was awarded the British Empire Medal several years ago, but his latest honour will be shared by only 40 unsung heroes.

Before he leaves for the capital he will be the race commentator at the 40th Anniversary Freckleton Half Marathon on June 20.

Race director Brian Porter is advising athletes to pre-enter as 350 of the 500 available places have already been snapped up.

Race cancelled

THE Alfred Hulme Great Hill Fell Race has been cancelled.

Scheduled for Saturday, June 19, at Brinscall, Chorley, United Utilities are digging up the Gala Field - so there will not be a Gala.

There will be no new date for this year, but the race will return in 2005.

Duo in top form

IN-FORM Chorley Harriers Keith Johnson and Sarah Scarrott were the winners of the second Ryder Run.

Held over a multi-terrain five kilometre course at Cuerden Hall, Johnson clocked 16:57 with Scarrott registering 20:09.

Lee Passco of Hyndburn was third with Clayton's Paul Targett fifth, while for the women second placed Gwen Farnworth was the leading veteran for Chorley Harriers and 14-year-old Alison Leonard of Chorley Harriers beat all the boys in the 2.5 kilometre Fun Run although nine-year-old Blackburn Harrier Joshua Robinson was just two seconds behind.

Age no problem

MORECAMBE 10K winner Mark Brown was more than twice the age of his closest rival Mark Aspinall!

Clayton Harrier Brown clocked 33:15 for a margin of 24 seconds over engineering student Aspinall, while two other East Lancashire veterans, Phil Taylor of Rossendale and Peter Butterworth from Clayton made the top ten.

Darwen Dasher Eric Wilson took the over 50s title, while Dashers Linda Clarkson with 41:44 and Sue Corsini in 43:13 were first and third women.

Karen Taylor of Rossendale and Blackburn Road Runner Madeline Haworth were respective winners in the over 45 and over 50 classes.

What's happening. . .

BLACKBURN Road Runners are the hosts for the Witton Four Mile Trail Race and Two Mile Junior Trail Race on Friday evening. Both races are on traffic free courses on paths and grass. The minimum age of the longer race is 15, while the junior event caters for age groups from 10 to 17. Both start at the Pavilion at Witton Park, Preston Old Road, Blackburn - the juniors at 7pm and the seniors at 7.30pm. The senior race is also part of the ukresults/Sweatshop Chorley Challenge Series. Members of Blackburn Road Runners are asked to marshal.

THE Tenth Annual Rochdale Three Day Event begins on Friday evening at 7.30pm with a six mile road race. On Saturday at 11am there is a six mile multi-terrain run with the Knowl Hill Fell Race, also six miles long, on Sunday at 11am. You can enter races individually or all three, and they all start at the Brown Cow, Norden, Rochdale.

THE Irwell Sculpture Trail is part of the Edenfield Village Fete. It is five kilometres long and starts at 2.30pm on Saturday.

THE Derian House Gala Day Five Mile Road Race is at Astley Village Chorley on Sunday. The course is two laps around Astley Village and Astley Park starting at 11am. A medal and T-shirt will be presented to all finishers.

THE East Lancashire Standard Distance Open Water Triathlon is a triathlon with a difference as the run is the second discipline and precedes the bike ride. Based at Lower Foulridge Reservoir near Colne, it starts at 9am on Sunday. For full details call Tri-Sport UK on 08703-214-950, 01282-701105 or 07813-495-030.

THE Pendle and Burnley Grand Prix reaches the half way stage with possibly the toughest challenge of the series. The Hendon Brook 13.5 miles Road Race is on Sunday at 11am from Marsden Park Golf Club at Nelson.

TRIALS for Black Forest Teenager Games in Germany will take place on Sunday, but the venue has been moved from Rivington to Ilkley. The start is at 11.30am from the top of Wells Road, Ilkley, West Yorks. A map is on the Ilkley Harriers website. The fell running event is for juniors born between 1987 and 1992 inclusive. The first two boys and first two girls gain automatic selection with a third team member being chosen by the committee. For more information call Shirley Wood on 01943-831765.

THE City of Preston Festival of Running is on Sunday with 10K and 5K Road Races and a 3.5K Fun Run from 10am.

THE Harry Aspinall Memorial Stacksteads Fair Fell Race takes place on Sunday at 1pm. The senior race is 3.5 miles with 850 feet of ascent as it climbs to Top O'Leach, and there is also a junior race starting at the same time.

THERE will be a trail race of 3M from Zion Baptist Church, Higher Clough Fold on Sunday at 1pm. The venue is about 100 yards from Marl Pits at Rossendale. For details call Julie on 01706-831944.

THE Horwich Countryside Tour is a varied series of five races held over six days from Tuesday, June 15, to Sunday, June 20. It kicks-off with the Science in Sport Lever Park Run on Tuesday, followed by the Jubilee 4M Road Race on Wednesday and the 5.25 mile Walsh Two Lads Hill Race on Thursday. The Holts Brewery Cross Country is on Friday. They all start at 7.30pm, while the Asda Horwich Carnival 5K is on the afternoon of Sunday June 20. Application forms and full details are on the Horwich Harriers website www.horwichrmiharriers.co.uk.

THE Holcombe Two Towers Fell Race is on Wednesday at 7.15pm. Starting from the Hare and Hounds pub in Holcombe Brook it is 5.2 miles with 1000 feet of ascent. A slight change of course means that the descent now requires fell shoes.