A NEW generation of runners took charge of the Epilepsy Action Bradford 10K.

Joe Sagar won in 32min 58sec, while Faye Beckett – an under-20s runner from Wakefield Harriers who was within two seconds of her lifetime best, set at Dewsbury last year – was first lady in 38.01.

Sagar, 21, runs for Spenborough AC in Cleckheaton but has been on the scene barely two years.

Apart from regularly winning the park runs in Dewsbury and Oakwell Hall, he followed up his seventh-place personal best at the Dewsbury 10K in February with victory at the Liversedge Half-Marathon (73min 40sec) and has now had the biggest win of his short career.

Sam Clegg (Rotherham) was next in 33.22, one second off his lifetime best set in Salford last year.

He was recently 342nd in the National Cross-Country Championships at Donington Park and won the Big 10K in Keighley.

Joe Townsend, a Birmingham University student, was third in 33.35. He was 50th in the national cross-countries last year at Parliament Hill Fields.

Fourth place went to Marcin Soszka, who came onto the local scene at this race two years ago shortly after moving from Poland to Bradford.

He trains around shift work, with the aim of running marathons in every European country and capital city.

Last year he ran 2hr 41min 11sec in the London Marathon and his big focus is the Rotterdam Marathon in four weeks.

Marcin's 10km time of 34.04, in a tight battle with Wetherby's Paul Millgate, puts him on course to break 2hr 40min in Rotterdam, one of the fastest courses in the world.

Bingley's Stephen Broadbent was seventh in 35.09, his first race in two years in a welcome return after injury. He came to prominence in the first Bradford 10K nine years ago.

Laura Dransfield (Roundhay) and Rebecca Cesar de Sa (Skyrac) finished on the women's podium in 38.20 and 40.26 respectively.

Despite contributing to the 40 Airedale Athletics marshals, who were warmly praised for their collective effort, both Queensbury and Saltaire Striders put out large teams.

Some excellent personal bests were recorded by Martin Fillingham and Stuart Dunbar (36.05 and 38.35 respectively) and age-related performances by Martin Firth and Helen Love.