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 the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame. Also in 2011, he was inducted into the National USA Track & Field Hall of Fame, after being selected in 2010. Virgin deferred his induction for one year so he could be inducted at the USATF General Meeting that was held in St. Louis in 2011. Most recently in 2020, inducted into the National High School Track & Field Hall of Fame. During his professional career he ran for the Saint Louis Track Club. 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. He did receive one of 461 Congressional Gold Medals created especially for the spurned athletes. Competition record Cross Country Track and field - US Olympic Trials Marathon US National Championships NCAA cross country Personal bests Post-athletic career In 1992, Virgin was the Democratic candidate for a seat in the Illinois Senate against incumbent Republican Senator Frank Watson. Watson was victorious. After the 2019 Chicago Public Schools Strike, Virgin came out against the Illinois High School Association's decision to bar runners from Chicago Public Schools from competing at the 2019 state championship. See also World Fit References Hall of Fame RRCA American Long Distance Running Hall of Fame 1984 National Distance Running Hall of Fame 2001 National USA Track & Field Hall of Fame 2011 St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame 2011 University of Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame 2017 National High School Track & Field Hall of Fame 2020 General Official website 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 http://www.garycohenrunning.com/Interviews/Virgin.aspx Specific External links Official site 1955 births Living people People from Belleville, Illinois Sportspeople from Illinois American male