diff --git a/src/eko/runner/__init__.py b/src/eko/runner/__init__.py
index c985fb1fd..0d05183f5 100644
--- a/src/eko/runner/__init__.py
+++ b/src/eko/runner/__init__.py
@@ -1,12 +1,18 @@
 """Manage steps to DGLAP solution, and operator creation."""
 import os
+from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Union
 
+from ..io import runcards
 from ..io.runcards import OperatorCard, TheoryCard
 from ..io.types import RawCard
-from . import legacy
+from . import managed
 
 
+# TODO: drop this altogether, replacing just with managed.solve
+# it is currently kept not to break the interface, but the runcards upgrade and
+# path conversion should be done by the caller, here we just clearly declare
+# which types we expect
 def solve(
     theory_card: Union[RawCard, TheoryCard],
     operators_card: Union[RawCard, OperatorCard],
@@ -26,18 +32,13 @@ def solve(
     to the solution of the |DGLAP| equation itself, and determine the resulting
     operator features.
 
-    Parameters
-    ----------
-    theory_card :
-        theory parameters and related settings
-    operator_card :
-        solution configurations, and further EKO options
-    path :
-        path where to store the computed operator
-
     Note
     ----
     For further information about EKO inputs and output see :doc:`/code/IO`
 
     """
-    legacy.Runner(theory_card, operators_card, path).compute()
+    # TODO: drop this
+    #  legacy.Runner(theory_card, operators_card, path).compute()
+
+    new_theory, new_operator = runcards.update(theory_card, operators_card)
+    managed.solve(new_theory, new_operator, Path(path))
diff --git a/src/eko/runner/managed.py b/src/eko/runner/managed.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3aaef21ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/eko/runner/managed.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+"""Fully managed runner.
+
+This is an automated runner, mainly suggested for small EKOs computations.
+
+The primitives used here to compute the various pieces are part of the public
+interface, and should be directly used to manage a more complex run for a
+considebaly large operator.
+
+Thus, parallelization and multi-node execution is possible using EKO primitives,
+but not automatically performed.
+
+"""
+
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from ..io.runcards import OperatorCard, TheoryCard
+from ..io.struct import EKO
+from . import recipes
+
+
+def solve(theory: TheoryCard, operator: OperatorCard, path: Path):
+    """Solve DGLAP equations in terms of evolution kernel operators (EKO)."""
+    with EKO.create(path) as builder:
+        eko = builder.load_cards(theory, operator).build()
+
+        recipes.create(eko)
+
+        #  for recipe in eko.recipes:
+        #  pass
diff --git a/src/eko/runner/recipes.py b/src/eko/runner/recipes.py
index 0e6163b66..659667080 100644
--- a/src/eko/runner/recipes.py
+++ b/src/eko/runner/recipes.py
@@ -4,10 +4,9 @@
 
 from .. import EKO
 from .. import scale_variations as sv
-from ..io import runcards
 from ..io.dictlike import DictLike
 from ..io.types import SquaredScale
-from ..thresholds import ThresholdsAtlas
+from . import commons
 
 
 @dataclass
@@ -35,19 +34,7 @@ class MatchingRecipe(Recipe):
 
 def create(eko: EKO):
     """Create all associated recipes."""
-    _ = eko.theory_card.matching
-
-    masses = runcards.masses(
-        eko.theory_card, eko.operator_card.configs.evolution_method
-    )
-
-    tc = ThresholdsAtlas(
-        masses=masses,
-        q2_ref=eko.operator_card.mu20,
-        nf_ref=eko.theory_card.num_flavs_init,
-        thresholds_ratios=None,
-        max_nf=eko.theory_card.num_flavs_max_pdf,
-    )
+    tc = commons.threshold_atlas(eko.theory_card, eko.operator_card)
 
     for mu2 in eko.mu2grid:
         expanded = eko.operator_card.configs.scvar_method is sv.Modes.expanded
diff --git a/tests/eko/runner/test_init.py b/tests/eko/runner/test_init.py
index 63037c2a7..ff5985834 100644
--- a/tests/eko/runner/test_init.py
+++ b/tests/eko/runner/test_init.py
@@ -11,10 +11,14 @@ def compute(self):
         self.path.write_text("output", encoding="utf-8")
 
 
+def mock_solve(th, op, path):
+    return MockRunner(th, op, path).compute()
+
+
 def test_run(monkeypatch, tmp_path: pathlib.Path):
     # just test, that it is a shortcut to 'compute'
     path = tmp_path / "eko.tar"
-    monkeypatch.setattr(eko.runner.legacy, "Runner", MockRunner)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(eko, "solve", mock_solve)
     eko.solve({}, {}, path=path)
     out = path.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
     assert out == "output"