How the area’s trails, climate and community helped spark the creation of the Puma Elite pro running group
By Renee Ambroso | Photography by John Michael Simpson
Oaks, sweetgums and pines line the American Tobacco Trail, a former rail corridor turned footpath that stretches more than 22 miles from downtown Durham into Chatham and Wake counties. These woods brighten with new growth each spring, budding leaves surging skyward. After enduring July and August’s hottest days, the foliage fades to mottled yellow, slowly blanketing the trail below as dormant months approach.
These trees caught Fiona O’Keeffe’s attention when she moved sight unseen to Durham in 2021 to join the Puma Elite Running Team. “I was immediately struck by the amount of greenery and how lush the forests are here,” Fiona says. The California native lived in New Mexico before coming to the East Coast, encouraged by what she’d heard about the area from Chris Miltenberg, UNC’s director of track and field/cross-country, who had coached her at Stanford University. The ATT is now Fiona’s primary training ground, where she racks up mile after mile each week.
Finding the Perfect Pace
Puma head coaches Alistair Cragg and Amy Cragg visited the Triangle a year earlier, scouting for an ideal setting to foster elite runners. “We bought a camper trailer, and we toured around the country for a few months trying to find a place that checked all the boxes,” Amy says. They’d spent years living in Oregon, California and Arizona – all popular hubs for American pro runners – but found that each location had significant drawbacks. Anywhere with long stretches of poor weather limited year-round outdoor running, while areas at high altitudes, though attractive for the performance benefits reaped from training in oxygen-deficient environments, came with steep living costs, isolation and limited job opportunities for athletes’ partners. Ultimately, Amy says, those conditions don’t add up to longevity in the sport.
Durham, with its moderate climate, manageable living costs and plentiful running trails – plus close proximity to quality health care systems and an international airport – stood out. “
The other [factor] is quality of life beyond the sport,” Alistair says. “As [athletes] get older, their lives can build and develop, they can meet people here. … That was important to us.” Summer’s heat and humidity posed little concern, since the team would often travel to races and high-altitude training camps during those months.
The Craggs established the Puma-sponsored group here in 2021 as Amy wrapped up her own competitive career as a distance runner, which included multiple Olympic berths and a bronze medal in the 2017 IAAF World Championships marathon, and transitioned into coaching. Alistair, a three-time Olympian, had worked for Oregon’s lauded Bowerman Track Club.
The pair has an exceptional history with the sport – “We have a lot of experience with some of the greatest athletes the U.S. has ever seen,” Alistair says. “… There aren’t too many [American] record holders who we haven’t trained with, [coached] or been a part of their careers.” – but it took time for the project to gain traction. At first, he says, few people took his and Amy’s ambitious plan seriously.
Building Momentum
Steadily, though, the duo recruited talent. Fiona and Oklahoma State University alum Alex Maier came on board straight from the NCAA, drawn by the chance to launch a pro career. “I liked the idea of joining an up-and-coming team,” Fiona says.
Others, like Australian Olympian Pat Tiernan, and his wife, middle-distance runner Angel Piccirillo, brought several years of professional experience. “[Angel and I have] naturally taken on a bit more of a leadership role,” Pat says. “I’ve also been surprised at how much I’ve learned from all of the [younger runners].” He praises the Craggs’ ability to accelerate newcomers’ growth: “Seeing these 23- and 24-year-olds come in and make these massive jumps from where they were at in college in their first year of being professional is pretty incredible.”
Amy adds that, while it’s still a young group overall, the less experienced runners greatly benefit from observing the work ethic of those farther along in their careers. “They understand the goals,” she says, “… and it’s much easier than trying to constantly convince people that they can do it.”
Durham Advantage
The Bull City has proven an ideal fit for Puma Elite in multiple ways. For some, living in such a vibrant area helps them decompress outside of training.
“As I’ve spent more time in Durham, I’ve really appreciated how there’s a lot of charm and sense of community here,” Fiona says.
Many of her teammates praise the city’s running scene. “We’ve been to events with Bull City Running Co., and there’s loads of people out training and getting fit,” Irish 10-mile national record holder Peter Lynch says.
Angel agrees that passion for the sport stands out among Durhamites. “[We appreciate the] Southern hospitality and kindness that exists down here,” she says. “People go out of their way to extend support and encouragement to us when they come across us on the trail or the track.”
Kenyan Amon Kemboi, who says he made a smooth transition to the Triangle after racing for nearby Campbell University, adds that locals’ enthusiasm motivates him on difficult days. “Even though running is [my job], sometimes it’s not fun, sometimes you’re hurting,” he says. “… The energy around the area [helps].”
The region’s highly successful collegiate track and field and cross-country programs at Duke University, UNC and NC State University bolster the team’s efforts as well, drawing the attention of the running world. Alistair says the schools “are definitely backing the idea that this could be done here,” adding that the ability to “talk through situations, scenarios, medical issues, maybe just how to navigate the season or system [with Chris and NC State Women’s Cross-Country Head Coach Laurie Henes] has been very beneficial to all.” Access to Duke and UNC’s tracks, where Puma athletes train weekly, in addition to what Angel calls the “deep support system” of medical providers who assist with nutrition, sports medicine and physical therapy, among other care, all play a critical role in athletes’ success.
The Craggs emphasize mental preparation alongside physical training, guiding the team members to develop actionable goals and utilize mindful tools to help them navigate various racing scenarios, drawing on the decades they’ve spent immersed in the sport. “We’ve been around a lot of personalities who have gotten it done in different ways,” Alistair says. “When you’ve got a mixed bag of athletes you’re working with, it allows you to say, ‘This is how this person who we [worked with] dealt with it.’”
The coaches also draw lessons from personal challenges. “My wife and I competed at the world level and know what it takes to get beat,” Alistair says, citing his own struggle to contend in the marathon, a distance at which Amy excelled. “Through failure, you learn a lot. I think the two of us are pretty good yin and yang in how we succeeded in the sport.”
On Your Marks
Puma Elite Running Team hosts the inaugural East Coast Exchange on Dec. 13 at 1 p.m. Teams of up to five are invited to enter the relay race starting at mile marker 21 of the ATT in New Hill, North Carolina, and finish at the trail’s northern terminus in Durham. Join Puma Elite runners for a post-race party at QueenBurger until 8:30 p.m., where the top three teams will receive awards, gift cards and swag.
In the Long Run
Any doubts about the fledgling team or the decision to base it in Durham were put to bed early last year. Fiona’s victory at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon as the youngest-ever winner set a race record and also marked the fastest debut ever at that distance by an American woman – a historic milestone and a turning point for Puma Elite. “I think it was a big catalyst [that showed everyone] we are for real,” Alistair says. “We had some good results prior, but it set the stage … and [the athletes] started feeding off one another’s goals at that point.”
Fiona’s triumph kicked off a series of standout performances: Dorcus Ewoi upset reigning 800-meter Olympic champion Athing Mu-Nikolayev; Taylor Roe set a 10-mile world record; and Alex made a stellar marathon debut to best the field at the 2025 Uniper Düsseldorf Marathon while Peter broke the Irish national record in the same race. Most recently, Dorcus earned a silver medal in the 1,500-meter race at the World Athletics Championships in September 2025.
“We’ve seen it in the past with other groups that we’ve been part of,” Amy says. “You [reach] this balance, and all of a sudden, success kind of breeds success.”
That’s not to say there haven’t been setbacks – injuries and lows are simply part of the sport, Amy says. Fiona’s Olympic debut in Paris ended abruptly when she dropped out of the marathon just a few kilometers after setting off due to what she later learned was a femoral stress reaction. “That was probably the toughest few weeks of my career to date,” Fiona says. “I felt like I was letting myself down and worse, all the people who supported me, on the biggest stage possible. … It was a long healing process, physically and otherwise. Abby Douek at Run Raleigh Physical Therapy and some great doctors in the area helped me make a healthy return to running.”
On a brisk morning this past November, Fiona again toed the line among several of the best marathoners in the world. She kept pace with them for 19 miles and finished fourth in her New York City Marathon debut, breaking the American course record by nearly two minutes while the three women ahead of her took down an overall course record that had stood for 22 years. Other Puma runners clocked impressive finishes throughout the weekend, with Patrick Dever placing fourth in the men’s marathon while Amonwon the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K the day prior.
These results are “really exciting,” Alistair says of Puma Elite team members claiming national and global records and vying for Olympic spots. “I didn’t think it would happen this fast based on where we were a couple years ago. Right now we have a very good, like-minded group of athletes who see the path, and they see us providing the path.”
Looking ahead, and without track world championships to prepare for, 2026 offers a chance to experiment with distances or disciplines the athletes wouldn’t typically race. Alistair says the focus will be on developing the skills needed for a strong showing at the next Summer Games in Los Angeles. “It’s a year to take a step forward,” he says, and for anyone regrouping from recent setbacks, an opportunity to set themselves up for success in 2028.
Meet the Runners
Angel Piccirillo
Favorite spot for a pick-me-up between workouts? “Daughters Coffee & Books is near [where Pat and I live] in south Durham. They have books, coffee, snacks and treats. We’ve been doing some work there and just hanging out. Pat is a coffee snob – as an Australian, he has to be – and he approves.”
How do you prefer to spend an afternoon off? “I volunteer at the Orange County Animal Shelter [where you can] take a dog out of the shelter [for a few hours] and take them to the park or to get a pup cup. I love to take a dog out and feel like I’m helping the little shelter babies.”
Fiona O’Keefe
Your favorite place to run in the area and why? “Probably [William B.] Umstead [State Park] – it feels like an escape into the forest, and the hills are a fun challenge. Everyone is familiar with the ATT (for good reason!) and Carolina North Forest has some nice gravel trails for a shorter run.”
What are you listening to ahead of a race? “I’m a little all over the shop. I’ve been into Tame Impala’s new album lately. I’m not huge on the pump-up songs but do love good indie music in general.”
Favorite coffee shop for a pick-me-up post-workout? “Joe Van Gogh is always solid! Cocoa Cinnamon also is super cute inside. If I need to sit and get some work done, I like Bean Traders.
Miriam Dattke
Best advice for folks looking to step up their running game? “Join a group. Everything is easier when you’re part of a team. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, and you can always learn something from others.”
Ideal itinerary for a day off? “Taking a long walk with my dog, Hank, in the forest and baking a cake in the afternoon.”
What or who inspires you? “Honestly, the Puma Elite group really inspires me. It’s amazing to train with so many talented athletes. We don’t have a professional team system like this [where I’m from] in Germany, so I truly appreciate the opportunity to learn from such great runners every day.”
Amon Kemboi
What’s your go-to music genre? “An East African style of music called Bongo. Sometimes I’ll listen to pop as well.”
What do you like to do in your free time? “On an easy day, I would wake up in the morning, do my regular stretching, go for a run, then come home and relax. Around noon I’ll cook some lunch – I like to cook a lot instead of going out. [Later] I’ll get together with friends. We might drive to Jordan Lake, find an activity like trivia at a brewery in downtown Durham, go to Tomato Jake’s Pizzeria for dinner, or to Morrisville or Cary for [a night out].”
