Born and brought up in Johannesburg South Africa, coach Alistair Cragg has since lived in England and United States where he attended the University of Arkansas. At Arkansas, he was a 7 time NCAA champion and 9 time SEC Champion in events ranging from 1,500 meters to 10,000 meters. He won individual outdoor titles over 5000m in 2003 and 10000m in 2004.

While competing internationally for Ireland, he made his olympic debut in 2004 over 5000m placing 12th, which was the highest European finish at that event in Athens. The following year he won gold at the 2005 European Indoor Championships over 3000m. In 2006 he finished 4th on the world stage at the World Indoor Track Championships in the 3000m.

Leading up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics he had secured a standard in the 1500m, 5000m, and 10,000m, breaking the Irish record for the 10,000m in the process. He would go on to compete in both the 1500m and 5000m at The Games. Between Beijing and making his third Olympic team in London, he qualified to the World Championship final 5000m in Daegu, South Korea.

Upon ending his competitive career in 2014, he joined Kimbia Athletics as a sports agent, then coached in the Pacific Northwest, prior to developing the Puma Elite Running Group in the Research Triangle of North Carolina.