Partridge in Glasgow 2014 frame after marathon effort

WITH over a year to go to the selection deadline, the chase has hotted up for places in the Scottish team for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games after the performances of Susan Partridge and Hayley Haining in yesterday’s Virgin London Marathon.

In all, the race provided three qualifying performances with Freya Ross’s recent training partner Partridge smashing her personal best by over three minutes with a time of two hours 30 minutes 46 seconds to finish first Briton in ninth place.

That also bettered the World Championships qualifying time of 2:31.0 as well as the Commonwealth Games standard of 2:40.00.

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Veteran Haining, 41, came home in 2:36.52, also well under the Glasgow standard.

Haining, who was so cruelly robbed of a place in the 2008 Beijing Olympics for which she was reserve, was the big surprise as she came back after having a child.

Ross, who missed the race through a hip injury but who has a best time of 2:28.50 from last year’s race and was Team GB’s first finisher in last year’s London Olympics, should join the other two in qualifying once she recovers and these three could well be the Scottish trio for Glasgow, provided no outsiders emerge in the meantime.

Partridge, who had been showing great form in recent half marathons after training with Ross at altitude in Boulder, Colorado, said: “I’m thrilled to finish in the Top 10 – the best I’ve finished before was 17th.”

“I was on for a sub 2:30 for a long time which would have been nice but I’m still delighted with the time – it’s a big PB and it sets me up for the World Championships again and I have the Commonwealth Games in mind as well.”

“I was also very hopeful about the Glasgow 2014 standard and hopefully I’m pretty secure for that now.”

She added: “It’s great that Hayley was inside that as well – she’s a great athlete.”

Haining’s Kilbarchan clubmate Derek Hawkins finished in 2:16.50 for first Briton which was outside the time for the World Championships in Moscow, though a Commonwealth qualifier, but he does have the Moscow time from last year.

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