ALDERSHOT, Farnham & District AC are basking in the success of their runner, Lily Partridge, who finished a superb eighth in the elite women’s race of the Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday.

Mo Farah made headlines by breaking the British men’s marathon record in coming third, while Kenya’s Vivian Cheruiyot came from behind to win the women’s race, taking advantage of fruitless attempts by defending champion and compatriot Mary Keitany and runner-up Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia) to break Paula Radcliffe’s world record.

In unprecedented warm weather for the event, Cheruiyot took the tape in 2hrs 18mins 31secs, with Brigid Kosgei of Kenya second and Ethiopia’s Tadelech Bekele third.

Lily Partridge defied the heat to record 2-29-24, a personal best by 1min 45, and her eighth position made her the top British woman in London.

Her performance in such gruelling conditions means that her ambition to run as low as 2-20 has to be taken seriously.

“You’ve got to look at what the Americans are doing and it only takes one or two girls to do it,” the 27-year-old said after the race. “I think it’s a belief thing. “I’m not going to say I’m going to go out in my next marathon and do 2-22. I’m not there yet, but we have to be looking at those times.

“I blew up a little bit the last three miles, but I think that was just the nature of the day. I think everybody slowed a little towards the end. I’m happy – job done, top 10 and qualification for Euros. I would have liked faster, I think it was worth a little bit faster, but I think you can only do what you can do on the day.”

Lily Partridge is the daughter of former AFD top distance runner Ruth Smeeth and literally followed in the footsteps of her mother in 2015 when she won the English Cross Country Championships, 35 years after Ruth had achieved the same feat.

By then, Ruth had become Ruth Partridge, having married Birchfield Harrier Richard Partridge, who won Midlands and Southern cross-country titles during the 1980s.

Ruth Partridge triumphed at the 1980 English Championships in Rugeley, Staffordshire, when she was just 19, while Lily slogged through the mud at Parliament Hill in London to make it a historic family double.

Lily said at the time: “It was a dream we’ve both shared and now both achieved. Now I know how my mum felt.”

Her parents met when competing at the World Cross Country Championships in 1984. Richard has a half-marathon time of 63-24 under his belt, while Ruth finished sixth in the 3000 metres at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Aukland.

Lily Partridge had previously impressed in half-marathons, finishing seventh in the Greath North Run last year and winning the Seville Half Marathon last January in a very fast 71mins 06secs. She previously won the London 10,000 metres in 2016. Now, with this result in London, she is amongst Great Britain’s top women’s marathon runners.

Just last month, Lily featured in an AFD one-two in the inaugural Vitality Big Half race in London.

Charlotte Purdue won the women’s race and was followed home by Partridge in second place. The men’s winner was that man Mo Farah.

Two years ago, Lily Partridge was named Freedom Leisure Sports Personality of the Year Award at the Surrey Sports Awards.