MARATHON man Mark Brown is urging the Great Britain public to follow Sydney's example and not switch off once the Olympics are over.

Brown is a medal prospect in the Paralympics -- the Games for disabled athletes -- which will follow the current event in Sydney, and will be covered by the BBC.

"I've heard that they've actually sold more tickets to the Sydney public for the Paralympics, than the Olympics," said Brown.

"I think the general public in Australia couldn't afford the Olympics, they were priced out, so they've settled for second best.

"But it should be really good. They've got some big names at the opening ceremony, such as Kylie Minogue and the BBC are giving it more coverage, after all we train just as hard as the able bodied athletes," said the Burnley lad.

Brown, who lost his arm in a motorbike accident, finished in a bronze medal position in Atlanta four years ago and is aiming for silver this time out.

The 38-year-old is also hoping for a personal best after he knocked eight minutes off his previous best in the London Marathon to record two hours 32 -- and make the qualifying time for the Great Britain's Paralympic team.

"I was the only one in London, even among the able bodied athletes, to make the qualifying time," said Brown. "And my aim now in Sydney is to break the two hour thirty mark."

The person Brown accepts he'll be chasing is Spain's Javier Conde, who's expected to get in the 2:20's in the grueeling 26 miles 385 yard course.

"He's got a similar disability to me. I've lost one arm but he's got a debilitating disease in both arms.

"It does mean though he has strength and drive in his shoulders at the moment and, six or seven years ago, he almost made the Spaniards mainstream team with his time." Brown puts his recent success down to lottery funding.

Before that, he was a nursing assistant at Calderstones, working in the gym but gave it up two years ago when he got the financial help he needed to train full-time.

He's also studying a HND in Sports Science at Burnley College, linked to the University of Central Lancashire, as he prepares for his future.

"I couldn't have knocked eight minutes off my PB in London without funding. It means I can train full-time and also rest and I've improved so much on last year.

"When I give up running I also want to give something back, and would like to train disabled athletes, which is why I am also studying."

Brown's training has been on the countless hills around Burnley, and he's convinced this will benefit him in Australia.

"It's a really tough course in Sydney, it starts in North Sydney and finishes at the Stadium, and it's meant to have plenty of hills.

"But that shouldn't bother me as you can't run anywhere in Burnley without hills! "It's spring in Australia so the conditions should be similar to when I did the London Marathon.

"In Atlanta it was too hot but the weather in Sydney is interchangeable.

"I remember I was competing last October/November in Sydney and one day I ran the 5,000 metres and it was really hot, the next day I ran the 10,000m and it was pouring down. But I'm used to that as well!"

Brown is flying out to Brisbane training camp with the team on October 5.

"I'll do a 10km there, just to get some sharpness and then it will be two weeks until the marathon on the final day, October 29, and I'll see if I can get another medal."

Mark Farnell from Wolves and Stephen Brunt from Bristol are also competing for GB in the marathon but will be in the partially sighted category.

The Paralympics will take place in Sydney from October 18-29.