Peyton Craig

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.

On debut at the Olympics the teenager was magnificent, placing third in his 800m heat (1:45.81), ahead of a brilliant time of 1:44.11 for 6th place in the semi-final. He missed qualification for the final by just 0.41 seconds and overall finished up as the 10th best athlete at the Games.

His stunning time equalled Peter Bol’s Tokyo time and the equal fastest run by an Aussie at the Olympics in 56 years, since Ralph Doubell won gold in 1968. The time also broke the Australian junior record.