BROMSGROVE and Redditch runner John Mutai said the pressure of being defending champion affected his performance in Sunday's Great North Run.

The Kenyan ace, a life member of the B&R club, came in third despite recording his second fastest time at the event.

And he said the pressure of expectation was on his mind.

After winning last year I had all the pressure because I was defending champion, he said.

I was a bit frightened because I didn't know if I could win it.

But I finished with 62min 34sec which is my second fastest time and I did my best so I am happy.

The 34-year-old's trainer Ian Ladbrooke said Mutai had been up against stiffer opposition this year including Portuguese London Marathon winner Antonio Pinto and former world marathon record holder Ronaldo Da'Costa, from Brazil.

The field was stacked this year and the conditions were tougher.

The eventual winner Phaustin Baha flew away from the field early on.

He was a relative unknown and did what John managed last year.

The Tanzanian got away early and I thought John coped very well to chase him down with the weight of expectation on him.

The problem was the rest of the pack were chasing him down but he did well.

Mutai, who trains in Coventry won the event last year after coming second to South African 1996 Olympic marathon champion Josia Thugane a year earlier.

And he has to cope with the pressure of defending another title on Monday when he competes in the Dublin Marathon.