SUSAN PARTRIDGE admits that she is taking a risk by competing in tomorrow's Great North Run - but wouldn't have it any other way.

The Scottish distance runner, fresh from running in the Commonwealth Games marathon in Glasgow, lines up in Newcastle tomorrow to take part in her third Great North Run, with rest the last thing on her mind.

Her previous best position was a sixth-placed finish in 2007, and while she readily accepts she would have to be on her mettle to match that tomorrow, Partridge is adamant on giving it her best go.

“What I’m trying to do is delay taking a rest, I’m trying to prolong the fitness," sad Partridge I took a couple of weeks off after Glasgow and now I’m doing the Great North Run then the Glasgow Half and a couple of races in between.

"It’s a risky strategy as you have to get the balance right of recovering from a marathon to run well in the next race, but also training enough so that you don’t lose fitness in the interim. It’s a bit of a balance, and a bit of a risk.

"I’ve picked the Great North Run because it’s a good one to do. It’s a good one to be part of, and then I need to keep my fingers crossed that if things fall together right on the day I can also have a good run.

"I’ll certainly run it in a way that gives me an opportunity to do well, and hope for the best. But it’s not necessarily the normal way to prepare for a half-marathon by running a marathon six weeks before.

"What have I got to lose? The other option would be to have a rest and don’t run, but if it isn’t doing any damage, you should always have a race if you can.

Partridge, whose half-marathon PB is 70.32, achieved at the Bath Half Marathon in 2013, is looking forward to taking part in the world's biggest half-marathon, which will celebrate its millionth finisher tomorrow.

“It is my best distance, which means it is my favourite distance. It seems to suit me. I guess it’s the right balance of long enough and also fast enough, I quite enjoy a half-marathon," Partridge said, speaking at a Start Fitness event for PUMA’s sponsorship of the Great Run Series.

"It’s a fun event to do, I always like the big mass participation races, there’s a buzz about them because so many people are doing it, it’s not like other races.

"Everyone knows what the Great North is, you quite often meet people who are doing it, there’s a nice feeling to it.

"There’s an excitement around it which is why normally I’d say six weeks after a marathon was too soon, but this time I really wanted to do the Great North and I didn’t want to wait another year to do it.

"Bizarrely, it’s a really fast race, you can get some fast times on it, but it’s not the easiest course in the world. There are some undulations, and it can be windy along that last stretch, so probably what makes it fast is the gravitas of the race, it gets the adrenaline running a little bit more, and of course competing against the very good runners gets a bit more out of you as well."