By Mike Rowbottom

John Nuttall in front of Team GBDecember 20 - John Nuttall has been appointed to the role of UK Athletics' endurance coach in the latest appointment to the team by Performance Director Neil Black.


Nuttall, who worked as a long distance coach under the previous head of the endurance programme, Ian Stewart, will now team up with Terrence Mahon, recently recruited from the United States to take over the running of the endurance programme through to the Rio 2016 Olympics and the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London.

It is looking increasingly likely that Stewart, the 64-year-old former European and Commonwealth champion and Olympic bronze medallist at 5,000 metres, will be concentrating his energies on his other role within UK Athletics as a meeting promoter for the Aviva Series, including the outdoor flagship events atBirmingham and Crystal Palace.

Ian StewartIan Stewart looks set to concentrate on his role as meeting director for UK Athletics

Meanwhile, George Gandy, a fellow long distance coach with Nuttall in the cycle leading to London 2012, where Mo Farah became the first Briton to win the Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m, is in discussion with UK Athletics about a future role.

Nuttall formerly coached the 2010 European 10,000m silver medallist Chris Thompson and currently coaches European Indoor 3000m champion Helen Clitheroe as well as leading British marathon runner Lee Merrien and 2011 European Cross Country bronze medallist, Gemma Steel.

The new Endurance Coach represented Britain at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and won a 5,000m bronze medal at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada.

Britain finished top of the medals table for the fifth successive year at the recent European Cross Country Championships.

"Over the past four years we've seen our endurance programme go from strength to strength," said Nuttall.

"Sso many British endurance runners have benefited from training at altitude in Iten and Font Romu.

"This has impacted on the success of the endurance programme on the track, cross country and road.

"I am looking forward to working alongside Terrence Mahon to build on what has been achieved in recent years for the next Olympic cycle to Rio 2016."

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