KENDAL'S veterans had gold snatched from their grasp by Border raiders Cumberland Fell Runners at the last British championship race of the season.

The small band of Kendal runners who travelled up to Inverliethen in Scotland on Saturday to compete in the 18 mile Two Breweries Hill Race returned home disappointed after CFR took the title by three points.

This was despite excellent performances by Allan Miller, from Sedgwick, who finished strongly in 26th place - fourth vet 40 - and Phil Clark who was 35th and second vet 45.

The other Kendal counters were Shaun Addison in 47th and John Dickinson in 69th.

Meanwhile, Bingley's Ian Holmes (200 points) completed an English and British championship double despite finishing seventh.

His main rivals for the title - Simon Booth (195), Gavin Bland (194) and Mark Roberts (191) - did not turn up.

Pudsey and Bramley's Paul Sheard was a comfortable winner of the race ahead of Ambleside's Mark Rigby, who finished seventh in the championship on 178 points.

A fifth place in the race from Dave Neill, of Staffs Morland, was not enough to give him the vet 40 title which he had to share with Eryri's Colin Donnelly, the pair earning 125 points.

Clayton's Mike Wallis (114) was third while Duncan Overton (92), Billy Procter (91) and Allan Miller (79) were sixth, seventh and ninth respectively.

Carnethy's Angela Mudge set a new course record of 2-53-56 in winning the ladies championship title over 21 points ahead of Borrowdale's Nicola Davies (48 points) who was first lady vet 40 in 59th position.

She also won the LV40 championship with 48 points, a category in which Clayton's Wendy Dodds, who lives in Milnthorpe, was fourth.

Kendal's Duncan Overton had already won the MV50 title and was not in Scotland but Guy Woolnough, who was 83rd, moved up to sixth place in the championship.

In the MV60 championship Ambleside's Roger Bell picked up silver behind Carnethy's Brian Waldie.

Borrowdale won the team title with 48 points ahead of Pudsey and Bramley (36) and CFR (34), winners of Saturday's team prize.

Ambleside (20) were sixth and Kendal (18) seventh.

RESULTS: 1 Paul Sheard, Pudsey & Bramley, 2-37-07; 2 M Rigby, Ambleside, 2-39-36; 3 J Bland, Borrowdale, 2-40-34; 4 A Schofield, Borrowdale, 2-41-45; 5 D Neill, Staffs Morland, 2-43-25; 6 J McQueen, Eryri, 2-44-51; 7 I Holmes, Bingley, 2-47-05; 8 C Donnelly, Eryri, 2-49-15; 9 S Neill, Pudsey & Bramley, 2-50-21; 10 N Sharp, Ambleside, 2-51-15; 11 B Ervine, Ballydrain, 2-51-27; 12 J Coyle, Solway, 2-52-27; 13 P Skelton, CFR, 2-53-04; 14 A Hart, Hunters Bog Trotters, 2-53-27; 15 J Hunt, CFR, 2-53-46; 16 A Mudge, Carnethy, 2-53-56; 17 A Ward, Dark Peak, 2-54-34; 18 G Wilkinson, Clayton, 2-57-17; 19 D McGonigle, Shettlestone, 2-57-35; 20 T Lenton, Lothian, 2-58-03; 26 A Miller, Kendal, 3-01-03; 35 P Clark, Kendal, 3-04-16; 47 S Addison, Kendal, 3-12-33; 54 C Rhodes, Ambleside, 3-17-10; 66 J Rae, Ambleside, 3-21-55; 69 J Dickinson, Kendal, 3-22-54; 81 N Spence, Borrowdale, 3-28-14; 83 G Woolnough, Kendal, 3-28-47; 85 M Addison, Kendal, 3-29-29; 97 W Dodds, Clayton, 3-39-14; 166 R Bell, Ambleside, 4-17-56; 173 M Leeming, Ambleside, 4-27-50; 188 J Laycock, Ambleside, 4-40-18.

There were 255 starters and 206 finished.