Last year’s event was held in sweltering conditions and also produced a superb men’s 800m as Great Britain’s Callum Dodds broke one minute and 45 seconds for the first time to clinch victory in a track record of 1:44.79, which propelled him towards selection for the European Championships.

Dodds will return to the Mary Peters Track where his 800m opponents will again include compatriot Tom Randolph who also went under 1:45 when finishing second last May.

Ireland’s 400m star Sharlene Mawdsley, who anchored her country to a dramatic mixed 4x400m relay gold at last year’s European Championships and won silver in the women’s 4x400m in Rome, has also signed up.

Mawdsley’s opponents will include Great Britain’s Isabelle Boffey, who has won 800m European U18, U20 and U23 titles, and will move down in distance to race Ireland’s Paris Olympian.

Race director Eamonn Christie opened entries for the meeting on 19 January and they were filled within 15 minutes – emphasising the status of an event which again will have World Athletics Continental Tour status.

“Once again I’m overwhelmed at how quickly the event sold out,” said Christie.

“I’m delighted at the calibre of athletes who have entered, including international, national and local athletes.

“To date we have entries from Spain, Holland, Denmark, Belgium, Poland, the Czech Republic as well as Ireland and Great Britain.”

BBC Sport NI’s website report of Gill’s Belfast victory last year generated more than 580,000 page views.