Gareth Turnbull won the 1500 metres at Cork City Sports

Gareth Turnbull ensured home success in the 1500 metres at Saturday's BUPA Cork City Sports by beating a good-quality field.

The 24-year-old Belfast athlete won in a time of three minutes 40.18 seconds ahead of Kenyan David Kiplak.

Turnbull was delighted with the win although he acknowledged that he was disappointed at the absence of a pacemaker to push the race along.

"As we stood on the line before the race, I asked whether the pacemaker was so we could make room to let him get in front and I was amazed to be told that there wasn't one," said Turnbull.

"I actually took the lead myself after around 800 or 900m for a bit but I was back in the pack by the bell as I didn't want to be like a prune ready for picking on the last lap.

"I felt very good in the race. With about 200 to go, I knew that I was going to win and it was just a case of picking my moment to make the move.

"The atmosphere was great as Sonia O'Sullivan had won her race a couple of minutes before so the crowd were buzzing".

Local heroine O'Sullivan delighted her home fans by winning the women's 1500m in 4:09.86 with Renee Kalmer of South Africa in second and Wicklow's Roisin McGettigan third.

There was an Irish one-two in the 200 metres as Gary Ryan (20.73) pipped his rival Paul Brizzel by six one-hundredths of a second.

English runner Tyrone Edgar was third.

Sonia O'Sullivan delighted her home fans in Cork

Ryan (10.46) was second in the 100 metres which was won by Jamaican Dwight Thomas in 10.35, with Brizzel sixth (10.63).

In her track comeback England's Olympic bronze medallist Katherine Merry (52.42) was pipped in the 400 metres by Julian Clay of the United States. Joanne Cuddihy of Ireland was fourth.

There was an exciting finish to the men's 5,000 metres with James Getanda of Kenya pipping Holland's Kamiel Masse in a time of 13:29.19.

English pair Andy Graffin (13:31.64) and Spencer Bardon (13:41.99) were seventh and eighth.

Annadale Strider Dermot Donnelly, the only Irishman in the field, was reasonably content with his time of 13:56.55 which left him in 13th place.

In the 400 metres Ireland's David McCarthy ran a personal best of 46.48 to come second behind Danny McFarlane of Jamaica whose winning time was 46.07 seconds.

Another Irishman Rob Daly clocked a disappointing 47.90.

Kilkenny's Adrian O'Dwyer won the high jump, clearing 2.21 metres.

James Nolan (1:48.95) had to be content with fourth place in the 800m which was won by American Khadevis Robinson in 1:47.14.

In the men's 1500m won by Turnbull, Conor Sweeney clocked 3:46.90 for 10th place, just ahead of another St Malachy's athlete Gary Murray (3:47.66).

On Sunday, Sweeney went on to guarantee himself a place in the Irish team for the European U23 Championships by winning the national title in 3:43.43 at Tullamore.