AN OPPORTUNIST run by Salford athlete Phillip Leybourne, who was in the area on business, brought him victory in the 4.1 mile Burneside Blast, the first race in the new Kendal AC Road Race Series last Wednesday.

Entrants came from far afield with the second and third-placed runners, Richard Malin and Tom Tipping, from Bromsgrove and Invercylde respectively.

Leybourne had just four seconds to spare from Malin when winning in a highly respectable 20min 20seconds.

The first Kendal runner home was young Daniel Parkinson, who was 13th in 2324, while the first woman was Kendal's Rebecca Robinson 17th in 24-25.

Result: 1 P Leybourne (Salford) 20-20; 2 R Malin (Bromsgrove) 20-24; 3 T Tipping (Inverclyde) 20-49; 4 & 1V45 P Muller (Horwich) 21-02; 5 & 1st V40 S Murdoch (Border) 21-14; 6 P Carter (Staffs Moor) 21-46; 7 A Fell (Unatt) 21-48; 8 J Houghton (N.

Fylde) 22-01; 9 A Welsh (N Fylde) 22-02; 10 S Walker S Walker (Cumberland FR) 22-42.

Local finishers included: 13 D Parkinson (Kendal) 23-28, 14 P Williamson (Kendal) 23-45; 15 N Heigh (Kendal) 23-55; 16 R Robinson (Unatt) 24-00; 17 R Robinson (Kendal) 24-00; 18 B Addison (Kendal) 24-40; 21 F Livesey (Howgill) 25-02; 23 H Gott (N Vets) 25-27; 24 K Dacre (Kendal) 25-35; C Handforth (Kendal) 26-45; 28 J Rayner (Kendal) 26.54); 31st H.

Parsons (Kendal) 27-08.