Ireland's Sonia O'Sullivan has won the 5km road race at Sunday's Flora Light Challenge in London's Hyde Park.

The Irish athlete ran the second fastest five-kilometre time ever - 14 minutes 56 seconds - missing out on the world record by just two seconds.

Benita Johnson of Australia finished second, while European 5,000m gold medal winner Marta Dominguez came in third.

The current world best performance is held by Deena Drossin of the United States who ran 14mins 54secs in April in Carlsbad, California.

O'Sullivan's time bettered the event record set by Paula Radcliffe 12 months ago.

"I was after the [world] record but I knew I was slowing," said O'Sullivan.

"The first kilometre was probably too fast," she added. "But when they caught me, just winning the race was the most important thing."

O'Sullivan also confirmed that she is interested in running another marathon.

"Everyone would like to run a marathon, it's a case of finding the right time," said O'Sullivan, winner of the Dublin marathon two years ago.

"I'd like to experience some different sort of distances before the end of the year then decide what I will do next year."

This year's race attracted a record entry of 25,000 women, an increase of 5,000 over 2001.

Prime Minister Tony Blair's QC wife Cherie Booth and the Lord Mayor of Westminster, councillor Frances Blois, started the race.

Results from the Flora Light Challenge for Women

1. S O'Sullivan (Irl) 14mins 56secs
2. B Johnson (Aus) 14:59
3. M Dominguez (Spa) 15:11
4. S Power (Aus) 15:15
5. J Chepchumba (Ken) 15:24
6. T Loroupe (Ken) 15:26
7. M Botezan (Rom) 15:32
8. Y Burykina (Rus) 15:59
9. A Wright (Gbr) 16:07
10. C Berry (Gbr) 16:14