SEVENTEEN runners broke 30 minutes in Sunday's ABBEY DASH 10K in Leeds.

Bradford's Tesfaye Debele broke his own personal best to run 29min 55sec (chip timings throughout) in 12th behind Scotsman Andrew Butchart, who won in 29:17.

The top hundred of the 12,000 entrants were mainly part of the invitational English Inter-Area Championship, plus Scottish and Welsh teams.

However, Ilkley's Tom Adams translated his off-road speed into 89th place (31:43). Otley neighbour Jamil Parapia was two seconds adrift and six places.

Spenborough veteran Kevin Ogden was sixth over-40 in 33:05, while his young clubmate Joshua Woodcock-Shaw ran 33:12 – an eight-second personal best. Julian Hood (Skipton AC) was just behind him.

Possibly the happiest runner of the day, however, was Saltaire and Airedale Athletics captain Will Kerr, who broke 34 minutes for the first time in 15 years.

After a disappointing spring, a new training group on Wednesdays at Keighley under coach Brian Scobie seems to have given him a new lease of life.

He said: "I'm finally heading in the right direction and am more determined than ever now."

Skyrac's under-17 Alex Pagdin ran 33:42. Under-20 team-mate Connor Craig-Jackson has knocked over four minutes off his PB in a year, down to 33:55. Pudsey & Bramley's new recruit Joe Baxter also dipped under 34 minutes.

Aldershot international Steph Twell was first lady in 32min 28sec, showing the calibre of runner now present in this out-and-back from Wellington Street along to Kirkstall Abbey and back to the Headrow.

Second was Dundee's British steeplechase champion Eilish McColgan in 33:02.

Wakefield's Jenny Walsh (34:43) was first Yorkshire lady but Dewsbury's Treena Johnson ran a remarkable race as second over-50 in 37:58.

Ilkley's Jane McCarthy, in only her third year of competitive running, ran 39:14 as fourth over-40.

Eccleshill Road Runners' Reena Mistry transferred her Berlin Marathon training from September into a best of 46:50.

The cool, dry conditions with little wind made it a perfect day for lifetime bests throughout the pack. Geoff Howard's 42:01 was an over-70s record for himself and Ilkley Harriers.