Track star Weir is planning to hit the road

sports reporter,wp/es::: David Weir will leave the track aside to focus on his road-racing ambitions following his world record time at the Olympic Stadium yesterday, writes Matt Majendie. Weir brought the curtain down on the three-day Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games with a dominant victory, crossing the line 10 seconds clear of his closest rival to win the T54 invitation mile. This week, he will head for a rare family holiday — two weeks in St Tropez, France — and will then turn his attention to the Great North Run on 15 September. If successful in the event, Weir will return to the New York Marathon for the first time since 2010, although he has yet to commit to organisers. “I’m definitely doing the Great North Run but I’m not sure about New York,” he said. “We will see. “I’ve missed a big block of winter training. If I do the Great North Run and training goes well then I will go to New York. If not, I will make other plans. I will talk to my coach Jenny [Archer].” Weir’s season has been far less high profile than last year when he won four Paralympic gold medals in the 800m, 1,500m, 5,000m and marathon. He has kept his competition to a minimum in 2012, opting to spend more time with his girlfriend, Emily, and his children, Ronie, Mason and Tillia. He raced the London Marathon but failed to add to his previous six wins and lost out to arch rival Marcel Hug at the event in Birmingham last month. As a result of being rooted in the UK for this year, it meant he missed last week’s IPC World Championships in Lyon, France, a decision he defended after his latest victory. “My plan to pull out came earlier this year,” he said. “But watching it I saw a lot, I was able to see more racing than ever before, including watching Marcel’s tactics. “But I was so happy for the team to do really well without me. I thought that was a weight off my shoulders. I didn’t want to go there with the thought that everyone was expecting me to win medals.” Weir and 100m sprinter Jonnie Peacock were the star attractions on a day of Paralympic action. Peacock, however, had to make do with third place behind Alan Oliveira and Richard Browne in the 100m. Browne argued after the event that amputee runners could get below the 10-second mark for the race but Peacock dismissed the suggestion. “No, never,” he said, when asked if it was possible. “He’s got great talent but I think 10.5 would be a great time for an amputee to run.”