- Craig Virgin
-
Craig Steven Virgin (born August 2, 1955) is an American distance runner. He was born in Belleville, Illinois and grew up near Lebanon, Illinois. While in high school, Virgin won 5 state championships (two in cross country and three in track) as well as setting the national outdoor high school 2-mile record of 8:40.9 (beating Steve Prefontaine's mark of 8:41.5, though slightly short of Gerry Lindgren's 8:40.0 indoor record from 1964). Additionally, Virgin remains the record-holder in Illinois Boys Cross Country, running a 13:50.6 in 1972, which has only been approached by within five seconds by Chris Derrick in 2007 (13:52) and Lukas Verzbicas in 2010 (13:54)
1984 Los Angeles OlympicsWhile attending the University of Illinois, he won nine Big Ten Conference championships as well as the 1975 NCAA Cross Country championship. He was a three-time Olympic qualifier at 10,000 meters, and the only American male to qualify three times in the event. He was a seven-time American record holder in road and track events, including a 27:39.4 in the 10,000 meters in 1979 (breaking Prefontaine's American record) and a 27:29.16 in 1980 that was the second fastest 10,000 meters in history at the time.
Virgin enjoyed success in cross country, road racing, and track. He was the winner of the 1979 Falmouth Road Race in a course record 32:20, was the two time winner (1980 & 1981) of the 12 km Bay to Breakers race in San Francisco, was a three-time winner of the 10K Peachtree Road Race (1979–1981) in Atlanta, and twice ran the fastest American 10 km road efforts (on point to point courses) with a 28:06 2nd place at the 1981 Crescent City Classic in New Orleans and later a 28:04 win at Peachtree that year. He enjoyed success in the few marathons he ran, his fastest time coming in a 2nd place finish in the 1981 Boston Marathon (2:10:26). On the track he was a three-time national champion in the 10,000 meters at the U.S. National Track & Field Championships (1978, 1979, and 1982) and the winner of the 1980 Olympic Trials 10,000 meters. In cross country he was a nine time member of the U.S. squad at the World Cross Country Championships. His biggest international accomplishment was being the first (and still the only) American man to win the IAAF World Cross Country Championships; which he did twice, in 1980 and 1981. He retired from competitive racing in 1992. In 2001, he was inducted into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame, and in 2011 inducted into both the National USA Track & Field Hall of Fame and the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame. During his professional career he ran for the Saint Louis Track Club.
Despite his obvious running talents, Olympic success eluded Virgin. He was eliminated in the 10,000-metre heats at both the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics and the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics (see, for example, Matti Hannus, ed., "Montreal Olympic Book" / Montreal Olympiakirja, Helsinki: "Runner" / Juoksija magazine, 1976; "The Big Olympic Book" / Suuri Olympiateos, volume 4, published in Finland in 1984). In 1980, ten days before the Olympics began, he ran the second fastest 10,000 meter race in history, but due to the U.S. boycott was not allowed to participate in the games.
- All results regarding marathon, unless stated otherwise
Year Competition Venue Position Notes Representing the United States
1978 World Cross-Country Championships Glasgow, Scotland 6th 39:54 1979 World Cross-Country Championships Limerick, Ireland 13th 38:05 1980 World Cross-Country Championships Paris, France 1st 35:01 1981 World Cross-Country Championships Madrid, Spain 1st 35:05 1981 Boston Marathon Boston, United States 2nd 2:10:26[1] 1983 World Cross-Country Championships Gateshead, UK 42nd 38:06 1984 World Cross-Country Championships East Rutherford NJ, US 17th 34:07 1985 World Cross-Country Championships Lisbon, Portugal 19th 34:12 1986 World Cross-Country Championships Colombier, Neuchâtel, Switzerland 81st 37:26 1988 World Cross-Country Championships Auckland, New Zealand 102nd 37:40 Personal bests
- 5,000 Meters - 13:19
- 10,000 Meters - 27:29
- Marathon - 2:10:26
References
- Hall of Fame
- National USA Track & Field Hall of Fame inductee 2011
- St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame 2011
- National Distance Running Hall of Fame 2001
- General
- http://www.activeness.WOAGnet/2006/03/going-distance-catching-up-with-craig.html
- History Repeats Itself...Records are made to be broken, just ask Craig Virgin
- Specific
- ^ "Seko Clocks A Boston Record". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. AP (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania): p. 19. April 21, 1981. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bM8nAAAAIBAJ&sjid=120DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2802%2C4107090. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
National Distance Running Hall of Fame inductees 1998: Joan Benoit · Ted Corbitt · Bill Rodgers · Frank Shorter · Kathrine Switzer | 1999: Johnny Kelley · Nina Kuscsik · Francie Larrieu Smith · Billy Mills | 2000: Clarence DeMar · Steve Prefontaine · Alberto Salazar · Grete Waitz | 2001: Bill Dellinger · Lynn Jennings · Fred Lebow · Craig Virgin | 2002: Bill Bowerman · Doris Brown Heritage · John J. Kelley · Browning Ross | 2003: Mary Decker · Jim Ryun · George Young | 2004: No inductees | 2005: Don Kardong · Greg Meyer · Bob Schul | 2006: Patti Catalano · Gerry Lindgren · Marty Liquori | 2007: No inductees | 2008: Amby Burfoot · Johnny Hayes · Priscilla Welch | 2009: No inductees | 2010: Dick Beardsley · Miki Gorman
IAAF Men's World Cross Country Champions Short Course 1998: John Kibowen (KEN) • 1999: Benjamin Limo (KEN) • 2000: John Kibowen (KEN) • 2001: Enock Koech (KEN) • 2002 – 2006: Kenenisa Bekele (ETH)
Long Course 1973: Pekka Päivärinta (FIN) • 1974: Erik de Beck (BEL) • 1975: Ian Stewart (SCO) • 1976: Carlos Lopes (POR) • 1977: Léon Schots (BEL) • 1978 – 1979: John Treacy (IRL) • 1980 – 1981: Craig Virgin (USA) • 1982: Mohamed Kedir (ETH) • 1983: Bekele Debele (ETH) • 1984 – 1985: Carlos Lopes (POR) • 1986 – 1989: John Ngugi (KEN) • 1990 – 1991: Khalid Skah (MAR) • 1992: John Ngugi (KEN) • 1993 – 1994: William Sigei (KEN) • 1995 – 1999: Paul Tergat (KEN) • 2000 – 2001: Mohammed Mourhit (BEL) • 2002 – 2006: Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) • 2007: Zersenay Tadese (ERI) • 2008: Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) • 2009: Gebregziabher Gebremariam (ETH) • 2010: Joseph Ebuya (KEN)
Categories:- 1955 births
- Living people
- American long-distance runners
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics
- Olympic track and field athletes of the United States
- People from St. Clair County, Illinois
- National Distance Running Hall of Fame inductees
- National USA Track & Field Hall of Fame inductees
- High school national record holder
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