Jonathan Mellor (May 2017)
Jonny Mellor, was born on the 27th of December 1986, at Birkenhead and, comes from the Wirral.
His club Liverpool Harriers were third in the National 12 Stage relay in 2017 and, he ran the fastest long leg on Stage 11, which was the third fastest overall on the day with his 25:47 clocking. It was on the 8th of April. He was then due to run the London Marathon on the 23rd of April, in which he ran 2:18:48. At the National relay at Sutton Park he said he was just using it as a blow out, getting the legs turning over, as preparation for the London Marathon to be run on the 23rd of April. However, his fastest marathon was 2:16:52, at Frankfurt on the 25th of October 2015. His personal best for the half marathon was achieved at New York on the 19th of March 2017 when he did a very respectable time of 62:23.
How did it all begin for Jonathan?
“I used to play football and I used to swim, as well as cross-country at school. When I finished playing for the Under 16’s, I started running more and, just played football a few times; then when I graduated from John Moores University I then really started.”
He mentioned ‘So many young people focus on one thing now, which is best not to do when you are young.’
He is coached, at the time of writing this, by a very pleasant man called Steve Vernon who, statistically, was one of the UK’s greatest cross country runners ever. Jonny agrees with that.
‘He always got it right for the big cross country races ‘He added ‘he has got a good group I train with at Stockport, Steve’s stomping ground.’
Steve has been one of the biggest influences. My old coach Dick Evans was my coach and I always follow what my coach suggests’ that applies to Steve Vernon too of course.
About the British Milers club track races that he has done, he points out. “I did do them before I had two stress fractures in my back at the end of 2015. One after the other; I lost quite a lot of time, never having had a stress fracture before and, two come along at the same time.’
Regarding the BMC in 2014. He ran at the Grand Prix in Sports City and won a 5000 on the 31st of May in 13:54.86. It was back in 2009 at the BMC Gold standard races he did his best 1500 time of 3:41:9 at Stretford. Interestingly enough, he ran 3:58.76, coming 2nd in a mile at Oxford at the BMC Grand Prix on the 20th of July 2013.
“Now, the 1500 is a bit short for me. It is good for 5k racing.”
Jonny Mellor’s best time for 10,000m was in 2013 when he ran in the Payton Cardinal Invitational, at Palo Alto, in the USA, on the 28th of April, doing a time of 28:42.20.
A memory for me was seeing him at my club, Highgate Harriers, at Parliament Hill Fields in Ben Pochee’s 10k PB’s event’, incorporating the England Championships, when he was a good third in 28:52.90.
At the corresponding race, at the same venue in 2015 he ran 28:46.80.
Even though he represented the UK indoors over 3000m in the World Indoor Games in 2014 & ran in the Commonwealth Games, it was as a club athlete I was impressed with his 10 mile best time, considering a good runner with ‘class’ would always be pleased to be able to get inside 50 minutes for 10 miles on the road and yet Jon Mellor managed a time of 48:15 in the Amsterdam ‘Dam tot Damloop, on the 18th of September 2016.