This weekend Alistair Cragg (University of Arkansas) won the 3,000m in 7.59.25 and the 5,000m (13.42.95) at the Southeast Conference Championships held in the Nutter Field house on the campus of the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky on 28-29 February. The Arkansas Razorbacks team suffered a rare defeat losing the SEC team title for only the second time since joining the Conference in 1992. In a bizarre finish with disqualifications and teams failing to finish Arkansas lost to Florida 128 points to 126. Cragg is coached by the living legend John McDonnell from Crossmolina, Co Mayo.

Irish Runner.com had a brief talk with Cragg about his recent Irish 3,000m record run, Arkansas team goals and his future wearing the green vest of Ireland.

Irish Runner.com: Two sub-four minute splits and an Irish/Collegiate record in the 3,000 metres. When did you start feeling like your ol' self?

Alistair Cragg: We had a great training group stay in Fayetteville over the December break and we got some valuable training in while most people took the festive season a little easier and my old legs are back. Training has been going really well and ever since I ran my 7:38 for the 3000m my body has clicked into some kind of form and my workouts have been getting faster.

IR.com: Last year you out kicked the reigning Olympic 1,500m Champion at the Boston Indoor Games, this year you were set to race Gebrselassie. What was behind your decision not to race?

AC: Regarding Boston, coach McDonnell took his time in deciding weather or not to run me with the pace being just about suicidal for most athletes. I don't think I was near full flight at the time. Haile has always been somewhat of a sporting hero to me and it was a great honor to be in the same field as him in this 3000m. Last year there was plenty of hype on Noah Ngeny coming over to race but realistically I know Haile is in another class. (Laughing) I will have to wait until the summer to take on Geb!

IR.com: After just two relay leg races you pop a great 3k race, how did race and pace feel?

AC: I tried to move up to keep the pace up. It's hard to run a race like this with former arch rivals [Boaz Cheboiywo] and not wanting to win, but running for time. There was a good energy out there and it was fun. I was glad to have guys that fast to run with. It felt surprisingly relaxed the whole way. I never had the gear that I am used to, but I am sure once we step up the training things will change.

IR.com: How did it feel getting the Irish Record in the 3,000m?

AC: Frank O'Mara was watching the race and it was an absolute honour to run the time, which broke his record, in front of himself and coach." Frank's like a rock star to me. It is great being compared to him. He was fine with it saying, 'It was an old record [10th March 1991 - Seville, Spain], it had to go sometime.'

IR.com: How did Coach McDonnell react to the record?

AC: He was chuffed. Daniel Lincoln, my former team mate and current training partner and I both said that we thought we could have gone faster but never had a gear. Coach likes that, he will find those gears for us.

IR.com: When we last chatted in the fall, you said it was going to a long year. Sandwiched between the US Collegiate indoor and outdoor seasons is the World Cross Championships in Brussels, Belgium, are you going to take Athletics Ireland up on the offer to race?

AC: I will be running the short course at the World Cross Country Championships in Brussels. By Late March I would have the ideal preparations for the 4km race and I am excited to see what I could do against the top of the World. Right now my focus is on a week before the World Championships as I will be competing in the NCAA Indoor Championships here in Fayetteville, with the possibility of racing the 3000m and the 5000m trying to defend my titles for one last time on the Indoor track. World Cross will be a perfect in-between race. With the speed needed for the 3000m and the strength for a good 5000m I feel that my perpetrations for the short course race will be perfect.

IR.com: What are your outdoor goals?

AC: Outdoors my first focus will be getting the Olympic A standard in the 5k [13.21.50]. After that I plan to score as many points for Arkansas at the NCAA Championships in June for one last time before I enter the big sea of running professionally. From there I will be in Europe hopefully getting ready for a great run in Athens for Ireland.