[2] He represented his nation Lithuania at the 2004 Summer Olympics, and later became an All-American in cross-country racing as a member of the track and field team for Oklahoma State University, under head coach Rene Sepulveda, while studying at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States.

[3][4][1] Before his time at Oklahoma State, Pukštas was an All-American for the SMU Mustangs track and field team, finishing 8th in the 5000 m at the 2003 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships.

[5] Before he retired from his athletic career in 2006 to pursue volunteer coaching for his alma mater's track and field squad, Pukstas ran a career best in 2:12:52 to win his first and only title at the Eurasia Marathon in Istanbul.

[3][8] He finished seventy-fourth in a vast field of a hundred runners with a time of 2:33:02, trailing behind the gold medalist Stefano Baldini of Italy by nearly twenty-two minutes.

[1][9][10] Pukstas currently resides in Stillwater, Oklahoma, along with his wife and fellow assistant coach Živilė Pukštienė, and their children Rokas and Gabija.