1981 World Athletics Cross Country Championships
| Host City | Madrid |
|---|---|
| Country |  ESP |
| Held | 28 March 1981 |
| Competitors | 46 |
| Countries | 10 |
Events
| Event | Gender | Held | Status | Competitors | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross Country | Men | — | Medal | 3 | 3 |
| Cross Country Team | Men | — | Medal | 18 | 3 |
| Cross Country Junior | Men | — | Medal | 3 | 3 |
| Cross Country Junior Team | Men | — | Medal | 12 | 3 |
| Cross Country | Women | — | Medal | 3 | 3 |
| Cross Country Team | Women | — | Medal | 12 | 3 |
Medal table
| Pos | Country | 🥇 Gold | 🥈 Silver | 🥉 Bronze | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States |  USA |
2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 2 | Soviet Union |  URS |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Ethiopia |  ETH |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | Norway |  NOR |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| = | Tunisia |  TUN |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | England |  ENG |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Canada |  CAN |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| = | Italy |  ITA |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| = | Kenya |  KEN |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| = | Portugal |  POR |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Medal winners
| Event | 🥇 Gold | 🥈 Silver | 🥉 Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross Country, Men | Craig Virgin |
USA
|
Mohamed Kedir |
ETH
|
Fernando Mamede |
POR
|
| Cross Country Team, Men | Ethiopia |
ETH
|
United States |
USA
|
Kenya |
KEN
|
| Cross Country Junior, Men | Mohamed Ali Chouri |
TUN
|
Yevgeny Zherebin |
URS
|
Keith Brantly |
USA
|
| Cross Country Junior Team, Men | United States |
USA
|
England |
ENG
|
Canada |
CAN
|
| Cross Country, Women | Grete Waitz |
NOR
|
Jan Merrill |
USA
|
Yelena Sipatova |
URS
|
| Cross Country Team, Women | Soviet Union |
URS
|
United States |
USA
|
Italy |
ITA
|