Sonia O'Sullivan had a good win in London on Sunday

O'Sullivan claimed a fine victory over Derartu Tulu in the Flora Lite 5k Challenge at the weekend.

That was less than a fortnight after she finished a distant last in the Olympic 5000 metres final.

She was affected in Athens by a stomach upset but her performance at Hyde Park suggested she is back in good form.

The veteran Irish athlete believes the half-marathon event on 26 September offers a further chance to prove that her Athens misery was a one-off disappointment.

O'Sullivan said: "It was good to get back into action and now I'm looking forward to the Great North Run.

"The Great North Run is obviously going to be a very tough test for me but I know the course very well and know what preparations I need for the race."

Last year saw Paula Radcliffe run the world's fastest half marathon in the Newcastle to South Shields race, and O'Sullivan was left in her wake.

Having won the race in 2002, O'Sullivan is out to regain her title this year, and her prospects are boosted by the absence of Radcliffe, who continues to recover from her Olympic ordeal.

O'Sullivan's improved form would seem to rule out the 34-year-old going into imminent retirement, which she had not ruled out in the days after her own Olympic disappointment.