Alistair Ian Cragg
Encyclopedia
Alistair Ian Cragg is an international track and field athlete, who was born in Johannesburg
on 13 June 1980, and brought up in South Africa
and has since lived in England
and Fayetteville
, Arkansas where he attended the University of Arkansas
. He races for Ireland
and competes most often over 3000 metres
and 5000 metres
. He holds the Irish national records
in both the 5000 metres and the 10,000 metres.
from 1994-1999. Alistair followed him there in 1999. His first cross country season there, he was injured and finished the season poorly at the regional meet in Denton, Texas. Arkansas coach John McDonnell
saw him after the race and said something about how he should not run if he was injured.
The next spring, Alistair was the top freshman finisher in the 5000 m at the NCAA Championship meet, smashing SMU freshman records in that event.
The following fall, another Cragg brother died and Alistair dropped out of SMU. After taking a year off, SMU had given away his scholarship and Alistair needed a new home. McDonnell made room for him on the Arkansas roster.
Cragg had an outstanding college career with the Arkansas Razorbacks
under Coach McDonnell, winning individual NCAA titles at 3,000 m, 5,000 m and 10,000 m on the track, as well as indoor titles. In 2004, Cragg was voted Southeastern Conference
athlete of the year and the Track and Field News magazine Collegiate Athlete of the Year.
Cragg is considered by many to be the most outstanding distance runner in the history of Arkansas track and field. He is the school record holder for 3,000 m and 5,000 m and is the only Razorback to win the 10,000, 5,000 and 1,500 meter races at a single SEC Championship meet. Cragg won seven NCAA championships while at the University of Arkansas.
.
Cragg declared for Ireland
in 2003 having represented South Africa as a junior athlete in a cross country race. He qualified for an Irish passport
on the basis on his ancestry and first obtained Irish nationality in 1985. It was a controversial move as he has never lived in the country and first visited when he was 24. He currently runs for Clonliffe Harriers
, a club in Dublin.
Cragg made his début for Ireland at the 2003 European Cross Country Championships
, where he finished a respectable 8th. In the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens
he finished as top European in the 5000 m at 12th place. Cragg won the gold medal in the 2005 European Indoor Championships for 3,000 m. Unfortunately for Cragg he could not build on this success as injury forced him to miss most of the outdoor season, including the 2005 IAAF Athletics World Championships.
Cragg began the 2006 season well and finished 4th in the World Indoor Championships
, just missing out on a medal. He was one of the favourites to win a medal in the 5000 m at the European Championships
, but dropped out whilst leading the slow run final with around 800 metres to go. It is believed he had suffered an Achilles tendon
injury.
During the early part of the 2007 season, Cragg made Olympic 'A' standards for the 2008 Olympic Games
in the 1500 metres, 5000 metres and 10,000 metres. Whilst recording the standard in the latter event, he broke the seven-year-old Irish record for the distance. Cragg finished second behind Cathal Lombard at the 2007 Irish Cross Country Championships, held in Belfast.
in Beijing
, Cragg competed in the 1500 m and 5000 m track events. He failed to qualify from heat section in the 1500 m, finishing 8th with a time of 3:44.90. In the first heat of the 5000 m, he finished sixth in his heat of the 5000 m with a time 13:38.57. Immediately after this race, thinking he had failed to qualify, Cragg was emotional when he was interviewed about the pressures that are associated with being an Irish athlete. He criticized Irish media, who he said, place too many demands on track and field
athletes, and the Irish public, for criticizing the Olympic team too hastily. He criticized Ireland's former middle-distance athletes for lambasting his performances, saying he could match the likes of Eamonn Coghlan
and others in a race. Cragg sat by himself watching the other two heats, dejected at his performance. However, it turned out that he had qualified for his second Olympic final as a fastest loser, with the sixth fastest time of all the qualifiers. He went on to participate in the 5,000 metre final, but did not finish.
In May 2009, he ran one of the best 5,000 metres of his career at the Adidas Track Classic
in Carson City, Los Angeles. His time of 13:16.83 is ranked the third fastest in the world for 2009. He also won the 2009 Irish 5000 m championship in August 2009.
He came second at the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Half Marathon in January 2011 behind Australian Shawn Forrest. He reached the 5000 m final at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics
, but finished in fourteenth place overall. The following month he ran at the Great South Run
and claimed third place due to his well-timed pacing.
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
on 13 June 1980, and brought up in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and has since lived in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Fayetteville
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
, Arkansas where he attended the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
. He races for Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and competes most often over 3000 metres
3000 metres
The 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and...
and 5000 metres
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...
. He holds the Irish national records
Irish records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in Ireland maintained by Athletics Association of Ireland .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:+ = en route to a longer distanceA = affected by altitudea = aided road course according to IAAF rule 260.28...
in both the 5000 metres and the 10,000 metres.
College
Cragg's father was a coach in South Africa and now also lives in Fayetteville with his wife. His older brother, Duncan, went to Southern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
from 1994-1999. Alistair followed him there in 1999. His first cross country season there, he was injured and finished the season poorly at the regional meet in Denton, Texas. Arkansas coach John McDonnell
John McDonnell (coach)
John McDonnell is the retired head coach for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks track team. He began as the cross country track coach for the University in 1972 and became head track coach in 1978...
saw him after the race and said something about how he should not run if he was injured.
The next spring, Alistair was the top freshman finisher in the 5000 m at the NCAA Championship meet, smashing SMU freshman records in that event.
The following fall, another Cragg brother died and Alistair dropped out of SMU. After taking a year off, SMU had given away his scholarship and Alistair needed a new home. McDonnell made room for him on the Arkansas roster.
Cragg had an outstanding college career with the Arkansas Razorbacks
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the names of college sports teams at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The term Arkansas Razorbacks properly applies to any of the sports teams at the university. The Razorbacks take their name from the feral pig of the same name...
under Coach McDonnell, winning individual NCAA titles at 3,000 m, 5,000 m and 10,000 m on the track, as well as indoor titles. In 2004, Cragg was voted Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
athlete of the year and the Track and Field News magazine Collegiate Athlete of the Year.
Cragg is considered by many to be the most outstanding distance runner in the history of Arkansas track and field. He is the school record holder for 3,000 m and 5,000 m and is the only Razorback to win the 10,000, 5,000 and 1,500 meter races at a single SEC Championship meet. Cragg won seven NCAA championships while at the University of Arkansas.
Professional career
McDonnell made the commitment to Cragg to coach him as a professional, along with collegiate team mate Daniel LincolnDaniel Lincoln
Daniel Lincoln is a world-class American track and field athlete and the American record holder in the 3000 meter steeplechase.-Education:...
.
Cragg declared for Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in 2003 having represented South Africa as a junior athlete in a cross country race. He qualified for an Irish passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
on the basis on his ancestry and first obtained Irish nationality in 1985. It was a controversial move as he has never lived in the country and first visited when he was 24. He currently runs for Clonliffe Harriers
Clonliffe Harriers
Clonliffe Harriers is a Dublin-based athletics club. They were founded in 1886, and are the oldest athletic club in Ireland. They have been based in Morton Stadium since the 1950s. The club has top-class international coaches in all disciplines and a lively training programme for all levels. The...
, a club in Dublin.
Cragg made his début for Ireland at the 2003 European Cross Country Championships
European Cross Country Championships
The European Cross Country Championships is an annual international cross country running competition. Organised by the European Athletic Association, it is the area championships for the region and is held in December each year...
, where he finished a respectable 8th. In the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
he finished as top European in the 5000 m at 12th place. Cragg won the gold medal in the 2005 European Indoor Championships for 3,000 m. Unfortunately for Cragg he could not build on this success as injury forced him to miss most of the outdoor season, including the 2005 IAAF Athletics World Championships.
Cragg began the 2006 season well and finished 4th in the World Indoor Championships
2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 11th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations was held in Moscow from March 10 to March 12, 2006 in the Olimpiyski Sport arena....
, just missing out on a medal. He was one of the favourites to win a medal in the 5000 m at the European Championships
2006 European Championships in Athletics
The 19th European Athletics Championships were held in Gothenburg, Sweden, between 7 August and 13 August 2006. The competition arena was the Ullevi Stadium and the official motto "Catch the Spirit"...
, but dropped out whilst leading the slow run final with around 800 metres to go. It is believed he had suffered an Achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
injury.
During the early part of the 2007 season, Cragg made Olympic 'A' standards for the 2008 Olympic Games
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in the 1500 metres, 5000 metres and 10,000 metres. Whilst recording the standard in the latter event, he broke the seven-year-old Irish record for the distance. Cragg finished second behind Cathal Lombard at the 2007 Irish Cross Country Championships, held in Belfast.
Beijing Olympics
In the 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Cragg competed in the 1500 m and 5000 m track events. He failed to qualify from heat section in the 1500 m, finishing 8th with a time of 3:44.90. In the first heat of the 5000 m, he finished sixth in his heat of the 5000 m with a time 13:38.57. Immediately after this race, thinking he had failed to qualify, Cragg was emotional when he was interviewed about the pressures that are associated with being an Irish athlete. He criticized Irish media, who he said, place too many demands on track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athletes, and the Irish public, for criticizing the Olympic team too hastily. He criticized Ireland's former middle-distance athletes for lambasting his performances, saying he could match the likes of Eamonn Coghlan
Eamonn Coghlan
Eamonn Christopher Coghlan is an Irish Senator and former athlete, who specialised in middle distance track events and the 5000 metres...
and others in a race. Cragg sat by himself watching the other two heats, dejected at his performance. However, it turned out that he had qualified for his second Olympic final as a fastest loser, with the sixth fastest time of all the qualifiers. He went on to participate in the 5,000 metre final, but did not finish.
In May 2009, he ran one of the best 5,000 metres of his career at the Adidas Track Classic
Adidas Track Classic
The Adidas Track Classic is an American track and field athletics meeting which has taken place annually in Carson, California since 2005. The meeting forms part of the USA Track & Field Visa Championship Series and is also one of the few area meetings where athletes can earn points to qualify for...
in Carson City, Los Angeles. His time of 13:16.83 is ranked the third fastest in the world for 2009. He also won the 2009 Irish 5000 m championship in August 2009.
He came second at the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Half Marathon in January 2011 behind Australian Shawn Forrest. He reached the 5000 m final at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics
2011 World Championships in Athletics
The 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition that was held in Daegu, South Korea. It started on 27 August 2011 and finished on 4 September 2011....
, but finished in fourteenth place overall. The following month he ran at the Great South Run
Great South Run
The Bupa Great South Run is an annual 10 miles road running race which takes place in Portsmouth, United Kingdom. Launched in 1990, it is part of the Great Run series created by former British athlete Brendan Foster...
and claimed third place due to his well-timed pacing.
Major competition record
| 2003 | European Cross Country Championships European Cross Country Championships The European Cross Country Championships is an annual international cross country running competition. Organised by the European Athletic Association, it is the area championships for the region and is held in December each year... |
Edinburgh Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area... , Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
8th | 9830 m | 29:13 | |
| 2004 | World Cross Country Championships | Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union... , Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... |
16th | Short race | ||
| 2004 | Olympic Games 2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team... |
Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
12th | 5000 m | ||
| 2005 | European Indoor Championship 2005 European Indoor Athletics Championships The 28th European Athletics Indoor Championships were held at the Palacio de Deportes in Madrid, the capital city of Spain, from Friday, 4 March to Sunday, 6 March 2005.-Men:... |
Madrid Madrid Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
1st | 3000 m | 7:46.32 | |
| 2006 | World Indoor Championships 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships The 11th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations was held in Moscow from March 10 to March 12, 2006 in the Olimpiyski Sport arena.... |
Moscow Moscow Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent... , Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... |
4th | 3000 m | 7:46.43 | |
| 2006 | European Championships 2006 European Championships in Athletics The 19th European Athletics Championships were held in Gothenburg, Sweden, between 7 August and 13 August 2006. The competition arena was the Ullevi Stadium and the official motto "Catch the Spirit"... |
Gothenburg Gothenburg Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area... , Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
— | 5000 m | DNF | |
| 2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's... , China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... |
— | 5000 m | DNF | |
| 2010 | European Athletics Championships | Barcelona Barcelona Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
— | 5000 m 2010 European Athletics Championships – Men's 5000 metres The men's 5000 metres at the 2010 European Athletics Championships will be held at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on 29 and 31 July.-Medalists:-Records:-Schedule:-Heat 1:-Heat 2:-Summary:-Final:-References:* *... |
DNF |
Irish records
- 3,000 m indoors: 7:38.59 (14 February 2004 in FayettevilleFayetteville, ArkansasFayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
) - 5,000 m indoors: 13:28.93 (14 March 2003 in FayettevilleFayetteville, ArkansasFayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
) - 5,000 m outdoors: 13:03.53 (16 September 2011 in Brussels, Belgium)
- 10,000 m outdoors: 27.39.55 (29 April 2007 in StanfordStanford, CaliforniaStanford is a census-designated place in Santa Clara County, California, United States and is the home of Stanford University. The population was 13,809 at the 2010 census....
, California)
See also
- Ireland at the 2004 Summer OlympicsIreland at the 2004 Summer OlympicsIreland competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.Ireland's Olympic campaign for the 2004 Games was dogged with controversy from the start, with the disqualification of Cathal Lombard for failing a drug test for the drug EPO...
- Ireland at the 2006 European Championships in AthleticsIreland at the 2006 European Championships in AthleticsIreland competed at the 2006 European Athletics Championships held in Sweden. Derval O'Rourke's silver medal, combined with a new national record, in the 100 metre hurdles was the highlight of the championship, which also saw a new women's 4 x 100 m relay national record and a national record...
External links
- Irish Boys run Well Article on Cragg (and David Gillick) focusing on his decision to run for Ireland - Sunday Times, 6 March 2005 *IAAF.com interview/profile February 2006
- Flotrack Coverage of Alistair Cragg (video interview)