Japan's National Cross Country Championships happened Saturday in Fukuoka, maybe the earliest selection race in the world for next January's World XC Championships in Florida.
The senior men's 10 km lived up to the hype with a 4-way race between 3000 m SC NR holder Ryuji Miura, 10000 m NR holder Kazuya Shiojiri, sub-28 man Ryuto Igawa and Hakone Ekiden downhill specialist Aoi Ito. It came down to a sprint finish between Miura and Igawa, with Miura getting the win 28:24 to 28:25 and Shiojiri a few steps back in 28:29. Considering that the National Corporate Road 10 km Championships two weeks ago were won with a time over 29 minutes, times were fast overall with the top 6 under 29 minutes.
The senior women's 8 km was a pack race most of the way, with one of the favorites Momoka Kawaguchi pulling away for the win in 26:25. 6th-place Wakana Itsuki was only 10 seconds behind 2nd-placer Sora Shinozakura, who clocked 26:31, showing what a close race it was. Anna Suzuki took 3rd in 26:34.
Takumi Shiobara from Miura's alma mater Juntendo University took the senior men's 2 km in 5:36, making it a nice double for Juntendo. Yuzu Nishide was the senior women's 2 km winner in 6:36.
The U20 men's 8 km was a 1-2 finish for Fukushima's Gakuho Ishikawa H.S., with Ryo Kurimura outkicked teammate and possible favorite Yota Mashiko for the win 23:20 to 23:24. Haruki Niizuma was 3 seconds back in 3rd.
2024 National High School Ekiden champion Nagano Higashi H.S. dominated the U20 women's 6 km, taking 1st, 3rd and 7th. Airi Mashiba got the win in 19:34 and Nami Kawakami 3rd in 19:46, with rival Yua Tsukamoto from Osaka Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S. splitting them up with a 19:39 for 2nd.
National Cross Country Championships
Fukuoka, 22 Feb. 2025
Senior Men's 10 km
1. Ryuji Miura (Subaru) - 28:24
2. Ryuto Igawa (Asahi Kasei) - 28:25
3. Kazuya Shiojiri (Fujitsu) - 28:29
4. Aoi Ito (Komazawa Univ.) - 28:35
5. Daiki Ozawa (Fujitsu) - 28:50
6. Hiroto Yoshioka (Juntendo Univ.) - 28:53
7. Yuma Shimoo (NTN) - 29:02
8. Yutaro Niinae (Aisan Kogyo) - 29:06
Senior Women's 8 km
1. Momoka Kawaguchi (Uniqlo) - 26:25
2. Sora Shinozakura (Yokohama T&F Assoc.) - 26:31
3. Anna Suzuki (Shimamura) - 26:34
4. Mitsu Ozaki (Sysmex) - 26:38
5. Chihiro Tsushima (Starts) - 26:40
6. Wakana Itsuki (Kyudenko) - 26:41
7. Ranna Chuuma (Shimamura) - 26:43
8. Yuri Tasaki (Sysmex) - 26:47
Senior Men's 2 km
1. Takumi Shiobara (Juntendo Univ.) - 5:36
2. Ryosuke Harada (Makes) - 5:38
3. Ryutaro Goto (Chuo Univ.) - 5:39
4. Kiyoto Ono (Juntendo Univ.) - 5:41
5. Takumi Nakagawa (Juntendo Univ.) - 5:43
6. Koki Terada (Chuo Univ.) - 5:47
7. Ryuto Aoki (Rikkyo Univ.) - 5:50
8. Naoto Katayama (Sanyo Tokushu Seiko) - 5:52
Senior Women's 2 km
1. Yuzu Nishide (Daihatsu) - 6:36
2. Momoa Yamada (Shimamura) - 6:37
3. Chikako Mori (Sekisui Kagaku) - 6:39
4. Saya Miyakawa (Denso) - 6:46
5. Yui Kitamura (Fukuoka Univ.) - 6:56
6. Koharu Shinoda (Minoka H.S.) - 6:56
7. Niko Ryoke (Fukuoka Wakaba H.S.) - 7:01
8. Ayaka Koike (Denso) - 7:05
U20 Men's 8 km
1. Ryo Kurimura (Gakuho Ishikawa H.S.) - 23:20
2. Yota Mashiko (Gakuho Ishikawa H.S.) - 23:24
3. Haruki Niizuma (Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S.) - 23:27
4. Yuma Matsuda (Omuta H.S.) - 23:30
5. Kenshin Noda (Omuta H.S.) - 23:34
6. Haruhi Niimi (Sera H.S.) - 23:34
7. Sota Muta (Chinzei Gakuin H.S.) - 23:39
8. Ibuki Sugiyama (Kyushu Gakuin H.S.) - 23:42
U20 Women's 6 km
1. Airi Mashiba (Nagano Higashi H.S.) - 19:34
2. Yua Tsukamoto (Osaka Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S.) - 19:39
3. Nami Kawakami (Nagano Higashi H.S.) - 19:46
4. Kairi Ikeno (Suma Gakuen H.S.) - 19:49
5. Yua Sato (Ritsumeikan Uji H.S.) - 19:59
6. Mao Kimura (Ibaraki Christian Gakuen H.S.) - 20:01
7. Rena Imai (Nagano Higashi H.S.) - 20:04
8. Mona Utsunomiya (Sapporo Yamanote H.S.) - 20:05
© 2025 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
Comments
When Miura and Shiojiri won in 2021/2023 they ran around 29.10/29.15 so the pace of the top 4 this year was high level.
Considering Miura has a 10k track PB of 28.32 (ok, he hasn't been training much for long distances and hasn't run those at all beside ekidens so his PB isn't his "real potential" on track), seeing him run 28.24 on this circuit and with that kind of last sprint is encouraging.
I've been vocal on how I think Juntendo staff (he is still training with Juntendo's coach) hasn't properly developed their runners over the past 3 years but this is a step in the right direction.
Ito and Igawa should be proud of how they ran, Shiojiri should be encouraged too after some injury issues lately.
Fura another DNS for the women race...too bad, sadly don't think we'll see her again at her previous levels.
One question for Brett: with the World cross country championship next year being on 10th january, will teams/athletes be prioritizing those over the New Year Ekiden?
Meaning, Miura/Igawa/Shiojiri are more likely to go to the world championship and skip the new year's ekiden or teams might want to have them on domestic competition?
Thanks in advance