Cragg undecided about Valencia

ALISTAIR CRAGG is, as yet, undecided about competing in the world indoor championships in Valencia next month.

The former European indoor 3,000m champion showed flashes of his best form on Friday night at the Tyson Invitational indoor meeting in his home track at Fayetville, Arkansas, where he posted the fastest time of the season to win the 5,000m in 13:32.01 from the Kenyan Jacob Korir, 13:47.57. But yesterday he was not getting overly excited as he reflected on the performance which he equated to 10k running.

“Obviously I am pleased with it because it was totally unexpected,” he said. “It was my first indoor race of the season and I had not done any serious track work so, from that point of view, it was a pleasant surprise.

“I think what surprised me most was the fact that I felt so comfortable.”

He remained vague on whether or not it might encourage him to participate in Valencia.

“At the moment I don’t think it will,” he said.

“I will have a couple of track sessions and, if I was to do something exceptional in those, then of course I would have to consider my situation.

“But I really would not be interested in going to the world indoor championships unless I really felt I had a chance of winning a medal. That’s the bottom line.”

His big target now is the national cross-country championships in Belfast on March 1 where he wants to take on the best of Ireland’s distance runners.

“I am looking forward to a really competitive race,” he said.

“I am not sure who will be competing, but I would say Gary Murray and those will be there and I know they will make it hard.

“Right now, I need a competitive race and where better to get it than in Belfast. The Irish cross-country title is a title I would dearly love to win and this is the race I have been preparing for.

“I always hoped that I would win it one day, but every year I was running indoors. That is why I decided to concentrate on the cross-country this year. “After that we have the world cross-country championships in Edinburgh and I am looking forward to those as well.

“I just want to spend some time in Ireland. All the times I have been over there I have not had the opportunity to see the country and I want to do a bit of sightseeing and visit all the places I have heard about.”

As regards Olympic qualification, he is well endowed. Last year he qualified at 1,500m, 5,000m and 10,000m.

“The 1,500m was a bit of a surprise for me, as I only ran that race to get in some leg speed. Come next August I would expect that I will be targeting the 5,000m.

“I was thrilled when Martin Fagan got his Olympic qualification standard. It is great to have at least one other distance runner with me.

“At the moment I am just getting things right. I feel very good and I am quite confident about the cross-country. After that I will give the track my full attention. I am looking forward to it.”

Meanwhile, Mark Carroll will be an interesting addition to the star studded fields for the Rás na hÉireann showpieces in Armagh and Dunleer over the coming week.

The teak tough Corkman will compete in the 5k road race in Armagh on Thursday night and then the big cross-country race in Dunleer on Sunday.

“I am in pretty good shape at the moment,” he said. “I have just come back from a training camp in Talahassi and I am hoping to run well in both of those races this week.

“After that I will turn my attention to the 5,000m and 10,000m on the track. The plan is to return to Stanford at the end of April and see how I do.”