RISING track star Chris Mulvaney is set to take British middle distance running by storm.

The Bolton 20-year-old has just run one of the fastest indoor 800m ever by a Brit and has set his sights on representing his country in the Commonwealth Games in the summer.

Mulvaney left his family home off Chorley New Road home 18 months ago to take up a scholarship at the University of Arkansas where he is studying kinesiology along with honing his athletics talent.

He was tipped as a potential Sebastian Coe of the future before he left and he is fulfilling his potential on the University circuit.

He followed up a winning time of 4.02.92 in the mile - in which he was 10 seconds ahead of his nearest rival - with a magnificent time of 1.48.45 to win an 800m race on his own track in Fayetteville.

That is the 17th fastest time ever by a British runner indoors and faster than any Brit has run during this or the last indoor seasons. It is also the seventh fastest ever run by a British Under-20 athlete.

More importantly it is less than half a second slower than the qualifying time for the Commonwealth Games which makes him bang on course to represent England in Manchester.

He should be able to knock at least that amount off his time in the outdoor season as there are fewer bends to run which will make him eligible to compete in the qualifiers for the England team which take place at the Manchester stadium in the middle of June.