THERE'S a story Alistair Cragg likes to tell. He was an eight-year-old finding his place in a new and confused Johannesburg, his father was a decent runner finding his place in a 10k road race. Alistair had gone to support his dad that day, but soon became bored and took off, following the field. As the hour mark approached, his dad had yet to see an excited son willing him through the gruelling heat and closing acres of tarmacadam. A friend who was running nearby told him it was no wonder, Alistair had passed him around the seven-kilometre mark and was quickly out of sight.

He doesn't use the tale to point to any prodigal talent or as a barometer of what was to come. He doesn't mention it because it was the first time he can remember going as quickly as possible for as long as possible. It's just one of the few times where athletics, family and South Africa came together, giving him a sense of worth. He spent many years after that running, problem was he was always trying to get away. From memories of a younger brother that took his own life. From a family that gave itself away. From the risk of failure on and off the track.

"In 1999 I was just out of high school when we lost him. He attempted suicide and I guess it didn't go right. My parents weren't getting along and we'd lost everything because he was in intensive care for eight months after he tried that. We made a decision that we didn't care if we had a home or anything else, we just wanted to make sure we put 100 per cent into his recovery. My dad owned a business, publishing magazines and stuff, and filed for bankruptcy. They just said to the bank and hospital take everything and do what you can do with him in ICU. They moved into a friends' garage for seven months, so the three of us were living there in one room. That was a real drain on everyone because I didn't have a career, I didn't have a job, I quit running. Looking back, I guess depression set in. I turned my back and to get on with my life I had to get away. But even when I did that, I think I was lost for a few years."

One of those years was in Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He had been offered a scholarship there because of his running but still feels he wasn't coached properly before an injury added to the weight on his shoulders. He was a mountain on matchsticks and the inevitable happened. He quit running again and went back to South Africa, where his parents were in the process of moving to England. When he went back to America, there was only silence until the phone rang one day.

"SMU told me I couldn't go back and I wasn't even a little surprised. I'd thrown away my chance because I hadn't run for seven months and felt I was cheating going back anyway. I said I'd give up but my older brother said I needed to get back. He told me I was talented enough to get through. Then John McDonnell called me up. This was a guy I'd been afraid to go near at track meets when I was running at SMU. This is a guy who has won more collegiate titles than anyone else as head coach at Arkansas [University in Fayetteville]. I trained so hard to make the team there that I became a leader without knowing it. And, in the end, with John I won seven national titles in college. There were numerous athlete of the year awards. But it wasn't like I was overly aware. What happened with me in university was I never chased time or position, I just went there and worked for my scholarship. I got an education and knew I had to pay that back to John, it was my part of the deal because I owed him, and still owe him, everything."

Cragg's family has an Irish ancestry, with the closest links coming from Killarney to mine diamonds three generations back. But if there's a reason why he decided Ireland was to be his adopted country, it's probably as much to do with his Mayo-born coach, a man that has stayed with Cragg even since his move into the professional ranks. "It's strange in South Africa because nobody really gels. You're Irish-South African or Greek-South African or AfricanSouth African. You belong somewhere else. I was never really comfortable, I was often the only English-speaking kid on track tours and stuff. In South Africa I knew where everything was but after my brother died my whole family exploded. I didn't feel South African anymore. It's just strange, the whole thing felt like a big dream.

"And even when I chose Ireland I felt like an orphan. But I'm running for Ireland and it just feels like it's what I'm meant to do. Everyone questions it and every time I have to do an interview, people question it because I hadn't been there until I was 24. I can't explain to them other than I look at things and feel they've happened for a reason. My family and I had grown away and left South Africa. I feel it's helped me move on and become part of me."

It was in 2003 when he changed colours. At that stage he had been a second off the A standard for the Olympics and would end up coming 12th in the 5,000 metres, the highest ranked European at those Games. But his greatest moment came in Madrid two years ago at the European Indoors. Already that season he had beaten Kenenisa Bekele, the winner of the 10,000 gold and 5,000 silver in Athens, and an athlete many believe to be joining the dots left by his compatriot Haile Gebrselassie. By the time he lined up for the 3,000m in Spain the rest were already intimidated. Initially nobody took the pace. After a few laps, things were falling into the hands of home favourite, and crucially 1,500m specialist, Reyes Estevez. But with 1,200 to go, Cragg took off. Nobody followed and by the time he hit the line he had seconds to turn and watch John Mayock lead the Spaniard home for the minor medals.

And this week he's back. The same championships in Birmingham where he'll run his heat on Friday, his final on Saturday and hope to put the last two years behind him. "Since that gold, things haven't gone well. About a week after I won those indoors, I came back to Arkansas in preparation for the World Cross Country Championships, I got a sharp spasm in my back and it ended up a stress fracture. I didn't race that summer but was back for the 2006 European Championships and we all know what happened there. . . It was a slow-run race and I was leading with 800 to go and just had to pull up injured.

"My coach was there, he'd never come to Europe to watch me, and I felt bad because of that. Straight away coming off the track I felt like I hadn't given him 100 per cent. I know I was in pain, but I always think 'what if I'd hung in there'.

Since the stress fracture in my back I'd been thinking too far ahead, worrying about injuries, and I felt really guilty for a while, towards my coach and towards Ireland. A lot of people said 'you were hurt, leave it be' but in my head I felt like I'd thrown in the towel. It was the low point of what's been a rough two years, but I plan to change it. And this week can help me do that. Coach has said I'm there, I just need to get my head there."

And your family, how has everything moved on?

"Funny you ask, and thanks. Well, after my brother died, we were concerned because South Africa is a really hard place to get started.

And in the UK it was too hard to get started too, and my parents never settled and they'd kind of been living like college kids, paycheck to paycheck. It's not nice to see your parents like that, especially when you know the reason behind it. But recently we managed to get them over here, to Fayetteville. It's great.

They are still my parents, they still get under my skin, but after everything it's great. If I look back five years and if I'd known this was what it would to be like, I would never have believed it. My running has opened up a lot of doors for my parents and myself. They were probably living the lowest standards out of my whole family but thanks to John McDonnell they can now get back a life they thought they'd never see again since my brother committed suicide."

South Africa is gone but again family and athletics have come together to give him a sense of worth.

EUROPEAN INDOOR ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHS
Birmingham NEC, Friday. . .Sunday Live, RTE 2 and BBC 2

TEAM IRELAND: PROSPECTS OF THE LIKELY CONTENDERS IRISH ATHLETES IN THE RUNNING

60mMEN

Paul Hessian
In the form of his life having dropped his personal best and could well reach the final, which would be a phenomenal achievement for an Irish sprinter.

60mWOMEN

Anna Boyle (pictured right)
Not going as she needs to ahead of such a championships and could be run out of it early.

400mMEN

David Gillick
Defending champion is in gold-winning form, problem is so are many others in this event. A hot field with a huge challenge coming from home hero Robert Tobin.

800mMEN

Thomas Chamney
Established a personal best in Notre Dame but will be surprising if he's around for the final on Sunday.

1500mMEN

James Nolan
If the semi-finals don't develop into a tactical affair, he'll feel confident of making it through.

Gareth Turnbull
Like Nolan, needs a strong pace to make the final. Very strong performer and if both races are based on speed, he could surprise us all.

Liam Reale
Has had visa problems returning to Providence College in America.

Not ideal preparation for an event that would be tough going anyway.

3000mMEN

Alistair Cragg
Defending champion but has had a terrible couple of years with injury.

Will fancy a medal but given the huge hike in standard in Europe over this distance, it may not be a gold.

Mark Carroll
Looked to have retired but returns in the championships that saw him take the top honours from Ghent in 2000. The heats on Friday could be a farewell.

Mark Christie
Ran a personal best last week and will be here in good spirits. Needs to take much as much as possible out of the championships given his years and limited indoor experience.

HIGH JUMP

WOMEN

Deirdre Ryan
A year ago would have been in better form.

Has struggled of late and will want to turn a corner with a national record.