Craig Virgin

Lebanon HS in Lebanon, IL

3 time Olympian

&

2 World Cross Country titles

August 3, 1969

One day after his 14th birthday, Craig Virgin shows up for his first day of cross country practice. Virgin was wearing his junior high gym suit with his name in the block on the front and Chuck Taylor Converse All-Star basketball shoes. Practice met behind the school where there was a big field that was a third of a mile around. The team was instructed to run five-miles, 15 laps around the one-third mile dirt path. Craig broke away from the team and lapped them all. Virgin did this for five days and then was so sore that he could hardly walk so he quit the cross country team and went out for baseball. He saw he couldn’t beat out the starting second baseman so he went back to the cross country coach and said he’d like to run just this one season and give it a try. The rest is history...

1969/70 - Freshman Year

Cross Country
* Craig Virgin wins his first cross country race against rival Mascoutah High School. (Mascoutah's top runner stopped during the second mile to go to the bathroom. Craig learns to always take care of that before the race).

Virgin's strategy was to go out slow and pass people.

* Sectionals- The narrow, wooded course, where brush slaps some runner's faces, can trap an inexperienced runner.
Virgin got stuck behind runners early in the race and didn't have a sprint.
Craig placed outside the first 7 -not qualifying for the state meet.

Track
* District - Freshman, Craig Virgin races to a 9:45 breaking the age-14 record of 9:51.0 by Manny Mahon (Homestead HS, CA 64).
* Dave Merrick (New Lennox Lincoln Way High) the top distance junior & third best nationally) wins IL state meet 2M in 8:59.0, in 7^th is Craig Virgin with a 9:32.0 lowering Mahon's age-14 record now 19 full seconds.

1970/71 - Sophomore Year

Cross Country
* Virgin changes his tactics: to going out strong and trying to burn out the competitors. That developed his front running style that he used for the rest of his career.

* Virgin was undefeated going into the State cross country meet and faced Dave Merrick who, at the time, was the finest distance runner to come out of the prep ranks since Steve Prefontaine. Craig went out with him and faded to 6^th in the final mile.

Track
* State - Merrick turns in great double, 4:07.4, 8:49.0!
The 2M came first - Merrick was pushed through a 4:24 mile by Virgin. After five laps Merrick broke away, Virgin is 2^nd -did not fade.

* Craig finished in 8:57.4 becoming the first sophomore & 15-year old to crack 9:00.
* Virgin is nine seconds faster than any other soph (old record: 9:06.2 Kasto Lopez, Sanger, Ca 69).
* And 16 seconds faster than any other 15-year old (old record: 9:13.2 Ralph Gamez, Berkeley, CA 63).

* A week later, The Midwest Classic, Craig followed a 2M victory with a personal best of 4:21.3 to win the mile!

1971/72 - Junior Year

Cross Country
*Lebanon's running sensation, Craig Virgin, wins the state meet, by 30 seconds, with a 13:59.3 at Detweiller Park, Peoria. Virgin chops 50 seconds off the Detweiller course record!! Later, at the awards presentation Virgin received a three-minute standing ovation.
The win for Craig marked the 23^rd time this season that the Greyhound distance phenomenon bettered an existing course record!!!

Track
* State Meet, Virgin wins a tough state meet double (4:09.2, 8:51.9); his mile was third best in the nation, his 2M second best and a world record for 16-year-olds, breaking the 8:56.6 set by Dave Merrick (New Lennox Lincoln Way High).

Craig wins the triple crown for state individual titles: cross country, Track, the distance double: 1 & 2-mile.

* 7/8 St. Louis, MO, Ozark AAU Meet at Florissant Valley Community College, Craig sets world record for 16-year-olds- 14:12.3 - - - 2M split 9:11, 3M 13:46, last mile 4:29.8 (old 5k 16-year record: 15:15.2 Mike Gilleran, Seaholm, MI 70 & Junior class record).

* 7/11 Central AAU Championships, 3M, Craig sets world record for 16-year-olds- 13:49.2 (14:20.0 Mike Butynes, Sterling NJ 70)

* 7/24 Lakewood, CO, U. S. National AAU Junior Champs - 3-mile- 1) Anthony Sandoval, Stanford 14:08.4, 2) Virgin 14:10.8.

* 7/29 USA vs USSR Junior Dual (Below) ...................................................... 13:44.6 and 14:14.6m!

July 29, '72 -Sacramento, USA-USSR Junior Dual meet -5,000 meter race.

16 year-old HS Junior Craig Virgin set a fast pace in the 90° + conditions, 4:35.7 (Mile) & 9:19.2 (2M). Teammate Anthony Sandoval (18yrs old) dropped off pace just after 2M. Virgin, spiced up the pace with occasional bursts of speed. No matter what, the older soviet pair stayed on his heels. Craig led until the last lap: when he was passed in the last 200 meters -then was boxed in during the homestretch... demonstrating a hard lesson in team tactics.

1972/73 - Senior Year

Cross Country

*Nov. 4, Virgin wins his second individual title, and lowering his own state meet course record at Detweiller Park...
to a blistering 13:50.6!! Splits: 4:19, 9:19 -last mile 4:31.

Chicago, Ill., Saturday, Nov. 25 - AAU Nationals in cross-country, in the cold & sleet. * Virgin took 13^th Clocking 31:13 for 6 miles to finish 31 seconds behind winner and recently crowned Olympic Marathon champion Frank Shorter.

Craig Virgin developes a bad case of tendinitis and doesn't run in January.

1973 - Indoors. After the four week layoff, Craig runs his first competitive effort:

2/11 .... 4:12.5 & 8:51.0 double on the University of Illinois 260y indoor track!!

2/23 .... 13:50.0 3M ... NY, NY, AAU Indoor Nat's, Virgin places 10^th (LINK) - 3^rd best by a prep, passed 2M at 9:03.4!!

3/3 ...... 8:45.6 & Less than an hour later a 4:08 ... Open AAU meet at Champaign (oversized track).

3/16 .... 4:24.0 - Anchors winning Distance Medley ... Sumner Indoor Invite Relays.
High schooler Craig Virgin had international experience.

Craig Virgin's sensational - 1973 - Outdoor Campaign

"Pure running where you just go out every race and do your best," CV.

3/31 ... 4:15.5 (2^nd) ... (1) Bill Fritz Glenbard West - 4:13.4 .. Oak Park Relays

4/05 .... 1:59.1 & 52.7 relay leg ............... Triangular

4/07 .... 8:50.4 & 4:17 relay leg ........... Alton Relays

4/14 ... DNC ....... Mineral Area Relays *Infected Tooth

4/17 .... 4:15.8 & 1:58.1 ......................... Triangular

4/24 ... 8:55.6 & 4:16.6 ......... St Clair County meet

4/25 .... 1:56.8 & 4:14.5 ......................... Triangular

4/28 ... 8:59.0 & 4:15.3 .............. Granite City Invite

5/02 ... 9:24.1 & 4:15.6 relay leg .. O'Fallon Relays **(30 mile per hour winds)

5/03 ... 4:27.9 & 2:02.1 .......... Cahokia Conference

5/05 ... 8:46.5 & 4:11.8 relay .......... Orphan Relays

5/10 ... 1:55 & 4:13 both relays ....... Roxana Relays

5/15 ... 8:53.9 & 4:13.0 ................... Cahokia Invite

5/18 ... 8:53.6 & 4:10.9 ................................ District

5/21 ... 8:48.6 & 4:08.5 ............. Meet of Champions

5/25 ... 4:10.5 ................................... State meet heat

5/26 ... 8:42.6 & 4:12.2 (2^nd) .... (1) Bill Fritz - 4:11.4 ... State finals (88°)

6/02 ... 4:05.5 ....................................... Top 10 meet

6/09 ... 8:40.9 (HSR) ........... International Prep Invite (94°)

6/16 .. DNC .... Golden West Invite *Feet too blistered up couldn’t go.

6/23 ...13:36.8 (3M) (Age 17 WR) ................................ Ntl Jr AAU

7/04 .. 4:06.1 (5^th) ................................. Freedom Mile

7/07 ... 3:50.0 1500 ............................. Florissant Valley Track Club meet

7/14 .. 8:10.2 (3^rd) 3000 ... vs West German Jrs (Won by Hans Jurgen-Orthmann)

7/20 .. 8:16.0 3000 ................................. vs Poland Jrs

7/28 .. 13:58.2 5000 (US age 17 Record) ..................... vs USSR Jrs

Craig Virgin (Illinois) Freshman.

Cross Country

Nov. 19, '73, NCAA CC Championships Hangman Valley, Spokane, WA.

6M, 38° -clear and sunny.

Virgin (#51) placed 10^th in 28:47.8.
Doug Brown (205, Tennessee) was 7^th in 28:40.4.

Pre won over Nick Rose (28:14.8 to 28:20).

Nov 26, '74, NCAA CC Championships, Bloomington, Indiana.

19yr-3mth-old Sophomore, Virgin (#137) was with Nick Rose (# 425, 22yr-11mth-old Jr) early but faded to 12^th in 30:15.84.
Rose (# 425) went on to win in 29:22.0.

Video (LINK)

Craig Virgin, the junior at Illinios, won the NCAA cross country title (by 15 sec.) over defending champion Nick Rose (Wn Ky) & John Ngeno (WSU, 21yrs-11mths).

1) Virgin ........................ 28:23.3
2) Rose ......................... 28:38.8
3) Ngeno ....................... 28:52.4
4) Terry Williams (OR) .. 28:57.9

24yr-9mth-old, Rono's scalding pace breaks, 21yr-3mth-old, Virgin.

Rono, a freshman, sets an NCAA record, since it's the first metric (10k) distance. Rono's 28:06 is 16 seconds faster than Vigin's victorious six-mile time at Penn State last year.

1) Rono .. 28:06.60, 2) Kimombwa .. 28:16.78, 3) Virgin .. 28:26.53,
4) Herb Lindsay (Mich State) .. 28:30.69, 5) John Treacy (Providence) .. 28:34.84.

Saturday, Jan 15, 1977 - 17^th Sunkist Invitational Track Meet, Attendance 12,004.

LOS ANGELES, The two-mile was one of the featured events of the nationally televised meet. Stanford Alumni, Duncan MacDonald out sprinted Craig Virgin for the win.

1) Duncan MacDonald .... 8:35.4
2) Craig Virgin ................ 8:35.6
3) Paul Geis .................... 8:35.7

Nov 26, 1977, Houston, TX, AAU Cross Country Championships
- 6.21 miles, Temp. 75° / Wind 15mph

-L & R -Final mile: Craig Virgin, Nick Rose & Alberto Salazar...
Results
1) Rose ............... 30:14
2) Virgin .............. 30:23
3) Greg Meyer ..... 30:34.4
4) Thom Hunt ...... 30:51.9
......
10) Salazar ........... 31:07

March 26, 1978 (Sunday), IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Glasgow Bellahouston Park, 12.0km CC Men.

May 31,1978, - Prefontaine Classic @ Eugene - 5,000 meters

1) Marty Liquori (AA) ... 13:37.7
2) Craig Virgin (AW) ... 13:40.7

June 10, 1978

AAU Championships

@ Westwood, CA

A drop-out in this race last year, Craig Virgin wins his first AAU championship title with a 28:15.0. The ex-Illini broke away big with about 7½ laps left and steadily pulled away running a 4:32 and 4:35 final miles.

(R) Mary Liquori was 5^th 29:08.9. He won the 500 meters the day before (6/9), racing away to win with a 56.8 last 440 to clock a 13:40.2 (last 880 was 1:59.7!!).

Jan. 14, 1979, 15^th Annual Mission Bay Marathon

San Diego, CA, Craig Virgin ran his first marathon. He ran 4^th though 12 miles and took the lead at 20. Craig easily bested the field of 2200 in a course record of 2:14:40. Craig's last 5 miles were his fastest, sub 5 minute pace (slight uphill grade) culminating with a final mile in 4:47, at that time the fastest-ever marathon debut for an American.

July 4, 1979

Peachtree Road Race 10k -10^th edition.

Atlanta, GA, Craig Virgin perfects his jubilant leap across the finish line as he bests over 20,000 runners, winning in 28:30.5 (Course Record).

January 19, 1980, Saturday, Eugene, Ore.

Craig Virgin won the U.S. Men's international cross country trials with a time of 36:43.7 over the 12,000 meter course. Dan Dillon was second in the 46 man-field.

March 9, 1980 - IAAF World Cross Country Championships @ Paris, France (Longchamp Racecourse on the outskirts of Paris)

In the 77-year history no American had ever won this, widely considered to be the most difficult of races.

Courtesy of Warren Morgan

(L) Nick Rose surges past Dan Dillon.

On the third lap, Virgin made it to the front pack.

(R) On the fourth lap, Virgin cut Rose's lead from 40 meters to 20...

At the top of the long stretch Hans-Jürgen Orthmann (Germany) was in second and gaining. He passed Rose with 350 meters to go.  Virgin was still 10 meters back.
Virgin got past Rose 150 meters out, and about that time Orthmann began to stiffen.

(Above) Sprinting freely, Virgin seized the lead for the first time, over the 12,580m/7.98M course, with 70 meters to run and crossed the line with a rejoicing bound; winning by a mere second, 37:02 to 37:03.

Craig Virgin, the 24-year-old from Lebanon, Ill., is the first American to win the senior mens cross country title.(Link: Thrilling Finish!!)

Teams:
1. England 100
2. United States 163 (Virgin-1, Dan Dillon-12^th, Ken Martin-23^rd, Steve Plasencia-36^th, Don Clary-43^rd, & Mark Anderson-48^th)

Virgin finishes with a 27:45.61 to win (13:43.61/14:02.0).

2. Greg Fredericks...28:03.14

3. Alberto Salazar....28:10.42

4. Jeff Wells.............28:12.82

July 4,1980.

Peachtree

Craig Virgin defends his title in

28:39.01

Saturday, July12, Stuttgart, Germany, Internationales Euro-Meeting des VfB

5,000 meters
1) Kip Rono (Ken) .................... 13:19.24
2) Craig Virgin (USA) .............. 13:19.62
3) Bill McChesney (Or) ............. 13:24.05
4) Fernando Mamede (Por) ....... 13:28.77

Tuesday, July15, Oslo, Norway, Oslo Games

5,000 meters
1) Nat Nuir (GB) ........................ 13:17.9
2) Filbert Bayi (Tan) ................... 13:18.2
3) Sulieman Nyambui (Tan) ........ 13:18.6
4) Bill McChesney (Or) .............. 13:18.6
5) Craig Virgin (USA) ............... 13:19.1
6) Henry Rono (Ken) ................. 13:19.8

After setting two PR's @ 5000m 13:19.62 & 13:19.1, Craig was set for a 10,000m...

Thursday, July 17, 1980, Paris, France, Charléty Stadium.

10,000 Meters
1) Craig Virgin ................................ 27:29.16, American Record (13:46.2, 13:43.0)
2) Fernando Mamede ..................... 29:37.88 NR
3) Bill McChesney .......................... 27:58.50 (6^th all-time U.S., 5^th all-time Collegiate)

*Only Henry Rono's 27:22.4 World Record is faster. (Rono's "80's best: 27:31.68).

March 28, 1981 - IAAF World Cross Country Championships @ Madrid, Spain -La Zarzuela circuit before 20,000 fans.

Craig Virgin comes from behind, in a thrilling sprint over the final 100 yards, to defend his world cross country title.
His winning time is 35:05 for the 7.45-mile (12 kilometer) race. Thom Hunt finishes 8^th in 35:23!

A record entry of 39 countries competed, including two who made an immediate and exciting impact on the championships: Ethiopia and Kenya.

BOSTON, April 20, 1981, point-to-point course, downhill. Craig Virgins' second marathon.

Winner Toshihiko Seko... negative split 1:04:01 to top Bill Rodgers' course record by one second!

1) Seko (Japan) .... 2:09:26 (CR, #5 all-time)
2) Virgin (FRTC) .... 2:10:26 (6 all-time U.S.)
3) Rodgers (GBTC) .... 2:10:34
.....
11) Greg Meyer (GBTC) ... 2:13:07
18) Ralph Serna (Unat) ...... 2:14:16

July 4,1981

Peachtree Road Race

Craig Virgin bolted ahead of 25,000 runners at the 4½ mile mark & went on to win his third straight Peachtree.

His winning time: 28:03 (10,000 meters) was a course record... breaking his old CR from 1979 (28:30.5)!!

June 20, 1982, Knoxville, TN., U.S. National Outdoor Championships 10,000m

1) Craig Virgin ... 28:33.02
2) Steve Ortiz .... 28:33.58

Virgin wins his third U.S. 10k title.

Photo courtesy/available at: runmoremiles.com

(R) The finish

1) Paul Cummings (Conv) ..... 27:59.08
2) Craig Virgin (FRTC) ........ 28:02.27
3) Pat Porter (AW) .............. 28:03.86
4) Garry Bjorklund (NB) ...... 28:05.83
5) Mark Curp (NB) ............. 28:06.80