AT 6-foot 4-inches tall and weighing around 190 pounds Tucker Murphy is hardly an archetypal-looking road running speedster, but that didn't stop him storming to third place in a highly competitive field in last weekend's Fairmont-to-Fairmont road race.

The Bermudian is a relatively unknown face on the local athletics scene due to the fact that he has lived overseas since he was 13, studying in the US and the UK.

The Bermuda Rhodes Scholar is currently completing a doctorate in zoology at Oxford University, where he competes for the cross-country team.

It is only when Murphy, 27, gets a break from his studies and his fieldwork that he drops in on Bermuda and tries to fit in a competitive race. Last April he came out of nowhere to win the Cornerstone 10-mile road race in 58 minutes 19 seconds.

On Sunday he again proved his ability setting a blistering pace to come home third in the Fairmont race over 7.2 miles behind two-times winner Chris Estwanik and Lamont Marshall, stopping the clock at 41.30.

Despite his ability he considers himself a recreational runner – his number one sport is cross-country skiing.

"I do running to stay fit," said Murphy. "When I went to university in the States I got into cross country skiing at Dartmouth in New Hampshire."

He readily admits he does not have usual lightweight physique of a distance runner. "I'm pretty heavy to run, it would help if I was lighter."0

In the UK he competes in the odd running race and triathlons as part of cross training to keep him fit for skiing. He won an 'Oxford Blue' as part of the university team that challenged archrivals Cambridge University.

Of the three triathlon disciplines, the former Saltus Grammar School student says running is his strongest.

When he is not at Oxford, Murphy can be found on fieldwork trips in Chile where he studies the "mountain lion/human conflict." In last Sunday's race he ran in close company behind lead master Simon Ashby and then found Riaan Naude matching paces around the five-mile mark, but coming off Burnt House Hill he made his move and pulled a few metres clear as the runners made their way down Middle Road towards the testing uphill approach to the Fairmont Southampton.

"Chris (Estwanik) and Lamont (Marshall) were way off up front. Riaan joined Simon and myself and we ran together and I made a move. The last hill up to the hotel was tough and I didn't realise how far it was down to the finish line on the other side."

Estwanik won the race in 36.11, just three seconds off the 20-year-old course record, while Marshall ran 38.36.

Sunday's race was the first time Murphy had run in the Fairmont-to-Fairmont event. He is such an infrequent road runner and with his sporadic returns to the Island, he has never competed in Bermuda's best known road race, the May 24 Half Marathon.

That may be something for the future, although it is unlikely to be this year.

Once he has completed his doctorate at Oxford, Murphy plans to pursue a post-doctorate either in the UK or the US. Beyond that he does not know when he might return to his homeland on a permanent basis, but he says: "I would really love to return to Bermuda, I love the Island."

Murphy was due to fly to the US this week to pursue his number one sport, cross-country skiing.