The on-form Australian was hoping to dip under the eight-minute barrier but after being led out by Kenyan pace-makers Churchill Kipsang and Shadrack Kosgei, he faded over the closing three laps to come home in 8 minutes, 11.16 seconds. British hope Mo Farrah was second in 8:20.47, edging out Kenyan John Kibowen.

Cragg was left battling for the minor places in the second group and was content to come home down the field, perhaps with the upcoming World Championships in Osaka on his mind.

His time of 8:31.08 was over seven seconds slower than his two-mile PB which he set last year, while Frank O'Mara's Irish record of 8:17.78 was never in trouble.

Also in action at the London meet was Irish 100m and 200m champion Paul Hession who clocked 20.61 seconds over the latter distance in what was a high quality field.

Hession's time, although three-tenths of a second down on his recent national record, was good enough for fifth place and he notably finished half-a-second ahead of the three Britons in the race - Luke Fagan, Alexander Nelson and Christian Malcolm.

Hession, who is currently ranked 14th in the world, made a solid start out of lane three and was in contention round the bend but Usain Bolt of Jamaica, a lane outside of the Galway man, held off all comers to take the win in an impressive 20.06.

The American American trio of Wallace Spearmon (20.11), JJ Johnson (20.48) and Rodney Martin (20.49) finished ahead of Hession. Race winner Bolt is one of the medal favourites for the Worlds, having run 19.75 in June.

North Sligo athlete Mary Cullen was also in London, tuning up for Osaka and she finished a credible eighth in the 3000m in a time of 8 minutes, 53.75 seconds, over five seconds down on her PB. Lauren Fleshman of the USA won in a time of 8:43.92, with Britain's Jo Pavey in second (8:44.13).