Cragg gets nod to race for Ireland in Santry

ALISTAIR CRAGG is selected to run for Ireland in the SPAR European cross-country championships in Santry on December 13.

The selectors left a vacancy in the senior men’s team pending the Thanksgiving Day 5k Roar Race in San Jose on Thursday and, after Cragg romped home in fifth position in a smart time of 13:45, it was decided to include him in the side to exclusion of Mick Clohisey (Raheny Shamrock AC) who is now named as first reserve.

“We are taking a chance going on his record,” Patsy McGonagle, Chair of High Performance, said. “But the bare facts indicate we cannot leave an athlete of his calibre out of the team. OK, he has disappointed us in the past, but he is a very talented athlete, one we feel can make an impact on the race and make an impression for the team. It is a chance we have to take.”