2011 Hall of Fame Inductee
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Craig Virgin established himself as one of the best distance runners in the world. His most impressive accomplishment was becoming the only American to win an individual World Cross Country Championship, which he did twice (‘80, ‘81). The 1976 NCAA Cross Country champion, Virgin set seven U.S. national records on the roads and in track events. Virgin broke Steve Prefontaine’s national high school two-mile record before attending the University of Illinois. At Illinois, he won nine Big Ten Conference Championships and eventually became the only American to qualify three times for the Olympic Games in the 10,000m (‘76, ‘80, ‘84). A three-time USA Outdoor champion (‘78, ‘79, ‘81) and 1980 Olympic Trials champion, Virgin broke Prefontaine’s American 10,000m record at 27:39.4 in 1979, which was also the second-fastest time ever run in the world at that time. Virgin is also a member of the National Distance Running Hall of Fame and the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.
Championships 1990 Olympic Trials: 10,000 m - 27:35.61 (1st) 1980 World Cross Country Championships: - 2101.00 m (1st) 1981 World Cross Country Championships: - 2105.00 m (1st) 1978 USA Outdoor Championships: 10,000 m - 28:15.00 (1st) 1979 USA Outdoor Championships: 10,000 m - 27:39.40 (1st) 1982 USA Outdoor Championships: 10,000 m - 28:33.02 (1st)