Gareth Turnbull produced a gutsy run to take an excellent 25th place in Saturday's men's short-course race at the World Cross Country Championships.

The Belfast runner was in 39th place after the opening lap but he produced a tremendous second circuit to move his way up the field.

"I had nothing left at the finish even though I picked off a few guys in the closing straight," said Turnbull.

"I would have been happy with top 30 so I am really pleased to have got into the top 25.

"John Mayock was a target for me and that worked pretty well all the way around although he just came in ahead of me at the finish.

'Great treatment'

"Maybe two weeks' uninterrupted training in the run-up to this weekend might have enabled me to make the top 20 but, overall, I have got to be happy."

Turnbull missed the Irish trial a fortnight ago because of a back strain and his training had to be curtailed because of the twinge.

"The back is a bit stiff now but I have got to thank Dave Corcoran here in Dublin for the great treatment that he has been giving me.

"If the back comes out of this in one piece, I might go to the Balmoral road race next weekend and run against John Mayock again," added Turnbull.

The Belfast man was top Irishman by some distance.

Rob Connolly was 63rd, Paul Reilly 84th, Paul McNamara 93rd, Mark Kenneally 94th and Gareth Coughlan 107th.

In the women's long course event won by Paula Radcliffe, Belfast's Teresa Duffy was 68th.

The other Irish placings were Maria McMahon in 45th, Orla O'Mahoney 58th, Pauline Curley 63rd, Geraldine Hendricken 71st and Margaret Danagher 74th.

The Irish junior women's placings were: Fionnuala Britton 72nd, Linda Byrne 87th, Michelle Gallagher 89th, Lisa Marie Coohill 100th, Ava Hutchinson 101st and Ashling Baker 105th.