BIOGRAPHY
We have many brilliant all-round sporting talents in Australia, but Peyton Craig is absolutely one of the very best. Growing up he was an Australian age champion in swimming, athletics and triathlon.
Starting from when he was very young, Peyton Craig participated in a number of sports, some very successfully. He swam from the age of three, winning an Australian title aged 10. He played rugby league from U5's through to U13's. Athletics was also in the picture from age six, concentrating on the sport by about age 11. He won medals in U11 and U12 at nationals in the middle-distance events. Around 11 he also started to compete in triathlons and from U13 started to compete more seriously.
“I began doing triathlons through my mum and dad, they were doing a few at the time and I wanted to try it. I did a few Koolkidz tri’s when I was a bit younger.”
By the age of 15, he had run amazing track times of 3:48.78 (1500m) and 8:19.74 (3000m). He started his 2021/22 summer running a World U20 Championships qualifier with 3:47.28. Then in the new year he ran 3:44.07 and 8:15.19.
Despite having the qualifying times, selection for the World Juniors would be determined at the Australian U20 Championships, where he encountered over 12 qualifiers in both the 1500m and 3000m.
“Probably the biggest challenge I’ve faced is actually qualifying for the World U20 team. Quite a big task was going into nationals aged only 16, I won the 1500m coming up against athletes who were 2-3 years older than I was.” He won both the 1500m and 3000m, but was required to compete in just one event, choosing the 1500m.
Peyton was also competing in Triathlon and was selected for the Australian team for the Junior Triathlon World Championships in Montreal in late June 2022, where he would place eighth amongst the 63 starters.
Also important in his journey was a race 800m in late May at the World U20 camp/competition on the Gold Coast, where he clocked the stunning time of 1:47.52 – making him the second fastest U18 in Australian history.
At the 2022 World U20 Championships in Cali, Peyton didn’t have a great day, placing 12th in his 1500m heat in 3:55.14.
Domestically in 2023 he ran just one race, a 1:48 800m in February at the Adelaide Invitational followed by six months on the sidelines injured. In late 2023 he was back on track and won the Zatopek junior men’s 3000m race in Melbourne. It gave no indication of what was about to happen after Christmas in the 2024 summer. In two consecutive races in Canberra and Adelaide he broke the Australian U20 800m record first running 1:45.77, then 1:45.41. His next three races (finals) were also sub-1:46, including third at Nationals behind Peter Bol and his World U20 Champs teammate Luke Boyes, who he was staring to build a rivalry with. In a close race in June, he defeated Luke at the Oceania Championships.
Nine days later in Europe he opened his campaign with another sub-1:46 time. But then in Vienna on June 22 he clocked the stunning time of 1:44.12 – just missing the National open record and clocking an Olympic qualifier. In the race he defeated Jo Deng the National record holder.
Sporting hero: Basketballer, Steph Curry. He’s someone I look up to cause I admire his ability to continuously search for ways he can improve his game and the way he goes about it. I also admire how he conducts himself on and off the court…Biggest challenge you faced: Being injured the majority of the 2023 athletics season and not being able to compete, overcoming that setback was challenging…Hobbies: playing competitive touch football for his school and representative sides, playing basketball and Xbox in my downtime… Advice to your young self: Be patience, and trust the process. There’s no rush to be achieving everything in the world when your young, have fun and enjoy the journey that comes with it all…Sporting ambition: being an Olympic champion and competing in the next three consecutive Olympic Games, making it to Brisbane in 2032…Biggest influences: my parents - there countless hours of doing all the little things for me just to give me the opportunity to achieve my goals, Brendan Mallyon my track coach who I’ve been working with for around six years now and without his guidance and hours of effort put into me I definitely wouldn’t be the athlete I am today, also my triathlon coaches Jordan Gover and Liam O'Neil…Enjoyment of competing: I love backing myself and pushing it to the absolute limit and finding out what I’m capable of. I love the adrenaline high that comes with it when everyone’s competing for the same goal and finding out who is the best. I also love to win, knowing that all the work that I’ve put in has paid off and I’m reaping the rewards. I’m the happiest version of myself when I’m competing, purely because I love competition and I love racing.
@23 June 2024 david.tarbotton@athletics.org.au
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