Ireland await Cragg’s plans for European championships

KEITH KELLY may be in flying form right now, and Seamus Power and Peter Matthews are back on track, but Ireland will have to wait for news of Alastair Cragg’s plans before assessing the medal hopes in the men’s race at next month’s European cross-country championships in Edinburgh.

Cragg was always up with the leaders and finished a comfortable third in the regional championships last week to mark his return to competitive running after surgery on a troublesome groin injury during the summer.

Next weekend he will take another step forward when he competes in the Districts and then the Arkansas College star will turn his attentions to the NCAA championships once again. Last year he was runner-up and came to Europe for the European championships where, despite feeling ill, he finished seventh.