Parliament Hill Fields, London on Saturday 21/02/2015 8 Km (Senior Ladies)

The Senior Women's Cross-Country Championships returned to Parliament Hill Fields, Hampstead Heath, London. Saucony continued their sponsorship of the event and this was the eighty-third running of the ladies' race. A record number of finishers completed the ladies' race with 865 crossing the line.

Louise Damen (Winchester & District AC) the Southern champion and Elle Vernon (Stockport Harriers) the Northern winner were part of a GB training group in Kenya. Lily Partridge (Aldershot, Farnham & District AC) was hoping to emulate her mother and 1980 winner Ruth Smeeth by winning the individual title.

Melanie Wilkins (Belgrave Harriers) won the charge up Kite Hill and went on the finish in seventeenth place.

Once the race settled down Lily Partridge and Sarah Astin (Manx Harriers) were at the front and remained there at the end of the first lap.

Halfway around the large lap Partridge got away from Astin to lead by 40 metres with Louise Small (Aldershot, Farnham & District AC) a further 40 metres back and Georgie Bruinvels (Aldershot, Farnham & District AC) in fourth spot, the top four were followed by Nicola Sykes (Bournville Harriers), Juliet Potter (Charnwood AC), 2006 champion Lizzie Janes nee Hall (Herts Phoenix AC), Alison Lavender (Oswestry Olympians) and Imogen Ainsworth (Bristol & West AC). Partridge continued to build on her lead over the course of the lap and her winning margin was 48 seconds. Louise Small overcame Sarah Astin for second with the Manx Harrier taking third.

23-year-old Lily Partridge told Athletics Weekly: "I wanted to hold back but decided to make my move at the end of the first lap when I almost got spiked and then I stretched it out. I knew I was running well and just tried to execute the best race I could. I felt really strong." As for the family connection, she said: "It holds a special place in my family and my Nan always used to speak about when my mum won the National. I first ran the event back in 2004 and have always wanted to win it."

Aldershot, Farnham & District AC retained the team title with a 15-point win over Bristol & West AC with Rotherham Harriers third. Counters were Lily Partridge (1st), Louise Small (2nd), Georgie Bruinvels (4th) and Lauren Hall (31st) and this was AFD's third consecutive team win.