LIVERPOOL HARRIER Jonny Mellor blitzed his way to a course record at one of the country’s most respected 10k races.
The GB international took to Clitheroe’s Ribble Valley 10k course on Tuesday amidst a stellar cast of the UK’s road performers including World Triathlon Champion and much fancied London 2012 medallist Alistair Brownlee. The 29 minutes and ten seconds which followed wrapped up a superb 2011 for Mellor.
Celebrating his 25th birthday on the day, Mellor took proceedings out from the front, and broke away from the field at the 4k marker along with Brownlee and New Marske athlete Ricky Stevenson.
Stevenson was dispatched, and Brownlee followed suit in the closing stages as Mellor notched a hugely impressive victory.
Mellor said: “I knew how strong Brownlee is with him being World Triathlon Champion, so I was trying to break him as much as possible but I couldn’t shake him off and it took until the last 400m before I got a gap on him. I knew a fast time would be there if I could win the race and it’s obviously a great bonus to break the course record.”
The victory comes at the end of a year in which Mellor won the Merseyside Cross Country Championships, ran for Great Britain alongside Mo Farah at the Great North City Games and galloped his way to a 28:50 eighth placed effort at the BUPA Great Manchester 10k. Consistency which the Adidas backed athlete puts down to hard work with his coach David Evans.
“We’ve worked together for a few years now so we know what works and what doesn’t and have developed a great understanding,” added Mellor.
“I’d like to challenge the 28min barrier in April in America over 10,000m and I think with consistent training I can do this. This would be a B standard for the Olympic Games. I can improve on 28:50 last May as today’s course is nutritiously tough.”
Mellor wasn’t the only Merseyside athlete chasing glory, with Paralympic man David Devine producing a stunning effort in his first ever 10k.
Devine – who is blind in one eye with only minimal vision in the other – clocked 30:55 to finish 27th. A time which showcased his world class talent as the world record for 10,000m is 31:39.
