IT'S seven years since her last Scottish cross-country title and 19 since her first, but Susan Partridge's appetite remains undiminished as she contemplates tomorrow's championships at Falkirk.

Partridge has international honours on road, track, and cross-country, including European cross-country a team gold, tenth and sixth in two Commonwealth marathons, and tenth and 14th in the marathon at World and European championships, including team bronze from the latter. One honour has eluded her, but plans to complete the set are underway.

"I would love to be an Olympian," she says. "It's the only championships I don't have."

At 35, she acknowledges she is coming to the end of her career: "Hopefully not too soon, but I think I could retire with very few regrets. The Olympics have a certain prestige - the icing on the cake. I could retire happily.

"I've been the best marathon runner [in Britain] for the past couple of years, but I'm also aware that's partly luck. My personal best [2:30.46] is not so fast that it's unbeatable. I've had some quick half marathons, so it makes sense to work on speed this summer, and towards a quick marathon in the autumn. I think Rio is a realistic aim, but I'm conscious people tend to come out of the woodwork."

Two months off after the 2014 Games marathon has controlled a long-term back problem. "But there was no way I could get in enough training for the World Championships in Beijing this year. Besides, in China's heat, it will be slow, and to qualify for the Olympics I need a quick marathon. So I will do track this summer: 10,000m, 5000, and maybe even a 1500, and prepare for an autumn marathon. I've narrowed it down to Chicago or Berlin."

Her coach, Welshman Steve Jones, set a world record at the former. "I could feed off the hype and atmosphere there, but Berlin is flatter and faster, and it would be a shorter journey. So it might come down to whichever field has depth around 2:30, where I am most likely to have people around me."

Three major championships have been in hot conditions in Barcelona, Daegu, and Moscow. "I'd always choose championship positions over times, but on a fast, flat course, in a good field, how fast might I actually go? Or am I a championship performer? I will never be really fast, but I can pull it out on the day, and make good decisions in championship races.

"Over the years, times become less impressive, but I'll always have these top-10s in World's, Commonwealths, and the London Marathon. Ultimately, racing is about places, I think."

Partridge has been second and third in the past two years at Falkirk's Callendar Park, but even with defending champion and European under-23 gold medallist Rhona Auckland missing tomorrow, winning, she says, is a big ask. "I'm getting back to fitness but I'm not sure how fit I am. If I get beaten, I get beaten. I don't like over-analysing, and coming up with where I should be. I just give it a go, as I always do. And I won't be shy about giving it a go. Whether I can hold it together remains to be seen."

Six-times senior winner Freya Ross is a non-starter, and with 2013 champion and Commonwealth internationalist Beth Potter also doubtful, Rosie Smith, fourth 12 months ago, but winner of two silver and two bronze in the previous four years, looks the main threat.

Ross has not completed a race since this event 12 months ago, her season traumatically blighted by missing the Commonwealth marathon. She has cautiously nursed herself back after a hip injury, but will be marshalling tomorrow. She hopes to be race-fit after spending next month at altitude in Boulder.

"I am still getting over 2014. It was horrible," she said. "Having been selected for the Games, I ended up doing commentary on Five Live, which took my mind off it a bit, but it was such a big goal. It's made me realise how much I do enjoy it, and how much I want to compete at that kind of level again. An autumn marathon and the Rio Olympics are definitely in my sights."

Like Partridge - they share the same coach - she is considering Chicago or Boston, but also Frankfurt. Running will remain her career focus for another couple of years. "Then I will reassess. I don't want to give up before I achieve what I feel capable off - the Olympics again, and doing better than last time."

It's 21 years since Partridge's championship debut, 15th as an under 15. "I ran round thinking: 'This is awful. I don't like this, and I'm never going to do this again.' When I finished, my dad said it was supposed to be like: 'You hurt yourself so that you do better. So everyone in front of you was hurting themselves more.'

"It was hard and wasn't fun. At that age it didn't occur to me that that was part of the achievement. It's not about training to be fit, and then jogging round. Part of the achievement is how hard you run. So I tried again, and ran better."

She won the under-17 title twice in succession, a title Ross then went on to win. Freya will cheer her rival as she goes past today. They both still plan to go places together.