James Nolan competed in the 1,500m at both the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

Earlier in his career, he earned a medal over 800m at the 1993 Youth Olympics. Nolan went on to achieve significant success on the European stage, claiming a silver medal at the 2000 European Indoor Championships.

Following his competitive career, James has remained deeply involved in athletics and is currently the Head of Paralympic Athletics in Ireland, where he plays a key role in developing and supporting elite para-athletes.