WTF: Did this really happen? In 1981, the entire Ethiopian xc team kicked a lap too early at Worlds? Virgin won title

Personally, I'll never forget the time when, while waiting for the start of the Chatahoochie Road Runners weekly run, someone said "Hey, looks like Craig's running today." Then incredibly I get to do a ten mile run with Craig MF Virgin. Epic for this hobbyjogger.

Hi Craig: Thanks so much for posting here--always excited to hear your input and it helps to legitimize the forum when elites such as yourself weigh in on topics historical and current. I was wondering how you feel about the perennial question of non-Americans competing in the NCAA? I remember an old article from either TaFNews or Runner's World (back when they covered serious competition) about the issue and they quoted you after an NCAA championship track race ('77 10,000m won by Sam Kimobwa?) saying "it just gets harder and harder every year." Do you think ultimately those college races against international competition helped prepare you for races like World XC? Were you a better runner in your mid- to late-20s because you raced some of the world's best as a college student? Thanks!

I was Craig's roommate in Madrid for the 1981 Championships.

The 1981 team bonded as well as any of my high school and college teams. Craig Virgin, myself, Mark Nenow, Bruce Bickford, Dan Dillon, Thom Hunt, Mike Maguire, Mark Muggleton and Bill Donakowski. I think Thom Hunt found an arcade a few blocks from our hotel, we gravitated to this new video game called Pacman. We called it "eat me" and played it every day. At the starting line of the race we huddled together like a college team at its conference championship, and chanted the Pacman Intermission song. Fun stuff. We were all committed to the cause, the team finished 2nd with the lowest ever USA score of 114, 33 points behind the winning Ethiopian Team. Ethiopia's first five men (2,7,13,14,15, 30) scored 51 points. Our first five men scored 63 points (1,8,17,18,19, 51) The difference was in the placing of our 6th man (me, 51st). We only needed a 16th place from me to get the tie. 15th for the win. A missed opportunity, for sure.

What I'd like to know is what you did in training in fall 79/winter + spring 80. I expect you weren't satisfied with the outcome of the 79 world cup 10000, and so planned to make the Moscow 10000 a very unpleasant experience for all.

I think we saw a bit of what might have been in world XC -- winning with a brilliantly-timed kick -- and the alternate olympic trials -- must give credit to Lindsay for taking a beating.

Thanks for posting this Malmo and Virgin. This is legendary stuff. I appreciate you giving us even a brief inside glimpse. I've been following letsrun since at least 03 and I've always admired how you've stuck it out posting here despite so much negativity spat at you. We need the legends on these boards. That silver medal must be a cherished item - even if you look at it and wonder what if! Love it and thanks again!