JONNY MELLOR said yesterday that he may have dodged a bullet after opting to miss the Commonwealth Games in favour of the London Marathon.

Mellor was told in October that he had not been selected by England Athletics for the Games so turned his attention to pounding the streets of the capital.

By the time the call came in January inviting him to participate in Australia after all, Mellor was committed to London and declined the invitation.

Instead he tuned in to the highlights of the Gold Coast race to see fellow Brit Callum Hawkins collapse in the stifling heat while leading with just a mile and a half to go.

The 25-year-old Scot was taken to hospital, suffering from exhaustion.

Mellor initially called the decision not to select him “short-sighted” — he had easily met the qualifying standard — but now accepts he might have enjoyed a spot of good fortune.

The 31-year-old from Birkenhead said: “I was disappointed not to be selected for the Commonwealths, but I’m just as motivated as if that situation wasn’t there.

“I was asked in January, but by then I had committed to the London Marathon.

“I am a little relieved. I saw the highlights and it looked brutal. It looked a really tough day out there.”

Mellor struggled in London last year, tailing off to finish a disappointing 23rd, but his confidence has been boosted by a 10th-placed finish in Berlin last September.

That performance saw the former British indoor 3,000m champion lower his marathon personal best by almost four minutes.

“I think Berlin gave me the belief that I can be a marathon runner,” he added.

“I had a bad run in London, I didn’t give it the respect it deserved and I had difficulty with refuelling. But you are always learning. I learned a lot from London from having a bad experience last year.”