Turnbull is hoping to qualify for the Commonwealth Games

Turnbull felt the injury after only 30 metres and while he attempted to run through the pain, he slowed down dramatically on the final lap.

The Belfast runner still won the low-key race in 3:52 - outside the Melbourne standard of 3:40.

"I don't know why I actually kept running," said Turnbull.

The Belfast athlete is holding out hope that physio might enable him to have another crack at the standard in Belfast this weekend.

"Physically, I actually felt very strong tonight but the spasm was hitting me like a pulse every so often, during the race.

"I ran through it on the first lap which was bang on target at 57 seconds and then went through (700m) at 1:57 and 2:43 at the bell and still in touch.

"But with 350 metres to go, the hamstring really hit me like a thunderbolt and I ran the final lap in about 69 seconds."

It is possible that 3:41.60 might be enough to convince the selectors to add him to the six names who have already achieved qualifying marks.

The Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games Council decreed last year that a maximum of seven track and field athletes would be included in the overall squad.

At the moment six athletes have achieved Commonwealth Games standards. They are James McIlroy (800m), Zoe Brown (pole vault), Eva Massey (shot), Ben Houghton (javelin), Michael Allen (javelin) and Brendan McConville (Decathlon).

Kelly Reid is the seventh ranked athlete under the controversial system used to rank Northern Ireland contenders for the games but Turnbull would move into that position if he bettered 3:41.60.

The closing date for qualifying is this Sunday.