by Jeff Benjamin
Craig Virgin has been described as one of the most versatille of American distance runners. His two wins at the World Cross Country, the ONLY wins in senior races by an American male, happened in 1980 and 1981. Craig Virgin came to running headlines by breaking the 2 mile high school record of one Steve Prefontaine, with Craig’s 8:40.9 in 1973. In 1979, Craig broke Steve Prefontaine’s American record for 10,000 meters with his 27:39.4. In 1980, Craig reset the AR for 10,000m with his 27:29.16, then the number two time in the world. Craig Virgin made Olympic teams in 1976, 1980 and 1984, all at the 10,000 meters. His PB at 5,000m was 13:19.1 and his PB at the marathon was 2:10.26, which happened at the 1981 Boston Marathon, where he took third.
CraigVirgin.com
RunBlogRun senior wrtier Jeff Benjamin spoke with Craig at the Tallahassee World Cross Country on January 9, 2026. Virgin has always been prone to opinions and he lived up to expectations. Here is what he told Jeff:
1. On his love of the Tallahassee Cross Country Course:
Craig Virgin: “I told someone today here in Tallahassee when I’m on a cross-country course I’m almost at home and I’m so excited to see the colors! The flags of the different athletes at the cross country championships was just something special for a whole decade for me.”
2. On how Craig Virgin prepared for his two World Cross Country titles:
Craig Virgin: “In my training throughout those years it was that November was Thanksgiving, December was Christmas, February was the trials and March was the World XC Championships.
My life revolved around that. I would start the season training in October in Royal October and it would represent six months of my training block – 23 week segments – I wanted to be at a certain point by world cross country in mid-late March and that would tell me whether I was on track for June through August. The other thing is that it was the only world championships at the time that was held yearly and it was important for me.
It was important to me to represent our country and to get to attract other top athletes to come in and join me to help our country do well in this. Nine times I qualified for 12 teams – I participated in nine world championships – The USA men’s team was second Pl. 5 times and 3rd place twice! Today they’d be popping the champagne corks if we had that kind of results and I wish for our teams representing the United States today.”
3. On getting top Americans to compete in cross country:
Craig Virgin: I think getting Americans to compete would give the meet more importance and would give the team more importance because it certainly worked for us back in the 70s and 80s and I don’t understand why they don’t see the same thing – To me if you’ve got a spring Marathon there’s strength training and as fast as the marathons are today there’s speed strength training.
The other thing is is for outdoor track in the summer. Cross-Country is a great way to get ready in the winter for your outdoor track season in June through August.”
4. On the current schedule of World Cross Country:
Craig Virgin: “I love that Tallahasse has the meet and I know agents and coaches may think another way but if the XC trials were in January and the world championships were in February it would make more sense and it still is a month earlier than what it used to be. It would still let them do indoor track meets. It would move them back from the April spring marathon. That’s the rhythm that I would prefer to see.”
5. Craig Virgin’s counter proposal for World Cross Country:
Craig Virgin: “As of right now there is no world XC championships in for 2027 and the next one is not till 2029. I think if we wait three years, we’ll lose all the momentum that we gained from having the meet this year.
I’m counter proposing that since Tallahassee has done all this work that the world championships in cross country for next year again should be held here!
It gives them a second year to practice on this, and i think it will benefit the Sport and World Athletics if they have another world championships back here!“
