SUSAN PARTRIDGE leads Scotland's athletics challenge tomorrow in the women's marathon when she lines up with Hayley Haining and Joasia Zakrzewski at 9.30am.

Tenth in Moscow at last year's World Championships - the second Commonwealth finisher - she believes she is a medal challenger and cites Lachie Stewart's 10,000 metres victory on the 1970 opening day in Edinburgh. It launched an eight-medal haul. "I'm very aware of the potential ripple effect created by a good performance on the opening day and that I could do other people a favour," she says.

One should not under-rate the impact of a good start on morale. Perceived wisdom a few months ago was that Scotland's track and field team would struggle to improve on a recent average of barely two medals, nine in total over five editions in the last 20 years. Now however, I believe we have some ten contenders.

Partridge is one of them and is the first in action. Tenth in the 2006 Commonwealth marathon, she has contested European and World championships several times, but says: "Without question, this is absolutely the biggest thing I've ever done - a marathon in a home Games and probably at the peak of my career. I don't want to be disappointed in myself. I don't care about a PB [personal best]. It's much more about the position.

"What an opportunity - to run in Glasgow, leading the way. But the marathon is unpredictable and that frightens me a little. Getting to the start is only half the battle. I get slightly emotional thinking about it, and more tense. All these Tweets! But I don't think the pressure will get to me. Once people expect you to do things, it's funny how you then feel you have to do it. This my 13th marathon, so I've a bit of experience.

"Given the shape I'm in, it would be stupid not to think podium. There's no point in lying and saying I just want a pb. I'd be satisfied with running out of my socks, making the right decisions and pushing myself. I'm prepared to take a risk for the result I want, but lots can go wrong in a marathon. If I do all the right things and they're simply better than me on the day, I'd be happy.

"My biggest fear is finishing thinking I should have pushed harder, didn't take the risk and got left. I might be fourth and run the best race of my life. You can't be disappointed with a great race when people are better then you."

Until moving into the athletes' village, Partridge was in Appin at her parents' home, preparing with coach Steve Jones, the former world marathon record-holder. "I've probably never felt as good and my only concern is going over on an ankle or getting hit by a car," she says. "But I haven't bought a ticket for Sunday at Hampden [when marathon medals are presented]. I did not want to tempt fate."

Her best is 2:30.46, while her Kenyan rivals boast best times of 2:24.03, 2:24.34 and 2:28.53. Partridge remains optimistic, however.

She returned three weeks ago from a month at altitude with Jones in Colorado. "In Boulder you can't swing a cat without knockng over an an Olympic runner or triathlete, but it's not much different where I train in Leeds: Steve Cram with Laura Weightman [Hampden 1500m contender]; the Brownlees [triathlon gold and silver medallists Alistair and Jonny]; and Non Stanford [world triathlon champion] - I see them all.

"I train with Phil Townsend's group at Leeds City. There's are lots of good guys including Steve Lisgo [who runs the steeplechase at Hampden]. I have lots of people to thank. I'm running with the guys and hanging off the back. There's great banter and intense competition."

Glasgow veterinary academic Haining was UK schools under-13 cross-country champion in 1985; was a World cross-country top-10 junior in 1991, European cross-country team silver medallist in 1996; World Cup marathon team bronze medallst in 2005; and ninth in the 2006 Commonwealth marathon. Now 42, she has deferred international retirement so that her four-year-old son, Elliott, can see her run. She will also be running in memory of her coach, Derek Parker, who died earlier this year - two powerful motivators.

Her Kilbarchan clubmate, Derek Hawkins (best time 2:14.04), faces formidable opposition in the men's marathon. Defending champion John Kelai is slowest of the Kenyan line-up at 2: 09.09. Stephen Chemlany and Erick Ndiema have respective bests of 2:06.24 and 2:07.01.

REGRETFULLY, at my 12th Commonwealth Games, I am still confronted by Scottish native records set at my first, in 1970. It's too much to hope Glasgow will change that, but I'll be disappointed not to better the recurring tally of two. We have at least ten contenders. Greatest expectation is on visually-impaired sprinter Libby Clegg and 400 metres hurdler Eilidh Child.

Clegg was runner-up last year at both 100 and 200m at the IPC World Championships while Child is second on the Commonwealth rankings this year. She is more than a second behind the Jamaican World No.1, Kaliese Spencer, however.

It would be little short of a miracle if Child improved on Delhi silver.

European 800m champion

Lynsey Sharp is fourth, but has an instinctive racing brain inherited from her athlete parents. Eilish McColgan also enjoys a genetic legacy. In her father Peter's event, she's ninth on this year's times, but capable of an upset.

Laura Muir is Commonwealth No.3, and has already taken Yvonne Murray's Scottish 1500m record, but I do hope she backs off a proposed 800m and 1500m double.

Chris O'Hare and Jake Wightman are sixth and seventh, best Scottish 1500m pair in a generation. Pole-vaulter Jax Thoirs is equal fourth. My admiration for Delhi 1500m bronze medallist Steph Twell knows no bounds. Fourth at 5000m in 2010, she has not run the distance this year, but should not be discounted. And with three Scots in the hammer top eight, there must be hope. They are headed by Mark Dry (fourth).

Olympic 800m champion David Rudisha is only third in the rankings and Botswana's Nigel Amos is capable of a surprise but I expect Kenya to dominate from 800m up. Ominously, Muir is the only non-Kenyan in the top three at

1500m, 5000m, 10,000m, marathon or steeplechase, male or female.

RHYS WILLIAMS, among the most iconic Welsh athletes since

Colin Jackson retired, has been provisionally suspended

for an alleged doping offence.

The 30-year-old says he has "not knowingly taken any banned substance" and that he has "always supported and been an advocate of clean sport".

The unknown substance was detected following the Diamond League at Hampden. This follows suspension of 800m runner Gareth Warburton and will inevitably spark speculation around the Welsh team.