Brian Cole was invited to represent Great Britain in the IAU European 100 kilometres Championships, but caught a bug while out there at Touhout in Belgium and decided to settle for the 50 kilometre race!

Brian was part of the Great Britain team to win team bronze in the 2004 European Championships and his selection for this year's followed two victories in ultra distance races in the preceding month.

The illness was the latest setback for the Darwen born Royal Marine after he made a late decision to travel amid concerns that he had not made sufficient recovery from a nasty bout of glandular fever which struck him down last autumn.

Cole first began to feel unwell before the Washington Marathon in September, an event in which the Royal Marines compete every year against their American counterparts.

Having expected to break two and a half hours, he struggled home a full hour behind schedule and the diagnosis was confirmed shortly afterwards.

Complete rest was ordered and Brian put on two stones in weight as his 100 mile a week training regime ceased overnight.

In retrospect, he feels that the long rest following years of intensive training may have been beneficial and he feels ready for the challenges ahead.

He helped his new club Blackburn Harriers to their best ever finish in the National Road Relays and 2:29 in the London Marathon confirmed his progress.

Victory in the Marlborough Downs Challenge in Wiltshire last month followed as he completed the 33.2 mile trail race in 4:11, a full ten minutes ahead of his closest rival.

The Dartmoor Discovery was next for Brian early this month, on the road this time, but with 4,000 feet of climbing included in the 32.4 miles.

He won by five and a half minutes in 3:49 as temperatures soared into the 90s.

Cole didn't have to endure that in Belgium the European Championships were held at night!

Running in the shorter race will no doubt put his place in the GB team for the World Cup in Korea on October 8 in jeopardy as the selectors are looking for a qualifying time of seven hours and 20 minutes, and there won't be many more chances.

In the short term he will be back in Lancashire taking part in some local fell races.

During his stay he intends to run the length of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal to raise money for a local cancer charity.