World XC Championships Japanese Results

In the absence of a full Ethiopian U20 contingent after visa issues, the U20 women's squad led the way for the Japanese team at this year's World Cross Country Championships with a team bronze medal. Yui Onotora had the best individual Japanese placing across any of the day's races at 14th to lead Japan's U20 women, with scoring members Wakana Fukuyama, Mona Utsunomiya and Mei Hosomi all making the top 30. But with Ethiopian women going 1-2-5 they would surely have knocked Japan out of the medals if they'd been able to field a full team.

Led by Haruki Niizuma in 15th, the U20 men had the next-best Japanese team placing at 6th, although they also benefitted by one place from the lack of a full Ethiopian team. Junsei Murakami was the only other Japanese runner in the race to make top 30, finishing 21st.

The mixed relay team of Takumi Shiobara, Yuzu Nishide, Kiyoto Ono and Momoa Yamada was 10th out of 15, while the senior men took 12th led by Ryuto Igawa in 51st. Only 3 Japanese women ran in the senior women's race, not enough to score in team results, with Wakana Itsuki the top placer at 48th.

World Athletics Cross Country Championships

Tallahassee, U.S.A., 10 Jan. 2026

complete results

Mixed Relay

1. Australia - 22:23

2. France - 22:26

3. Ethiopia - 22:34

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10. Japan - 24:08

U20 Women

1. Marta Alemayo (Ethiopia) - 18:52

2. Wosane Asefa (Ethiopia) - 19:18

3. Charity Cherop (Uganda) - 19:19

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14. Yui Onotora (Japan) - 20:25

22. Wakana Fukuyama (Japan) - 20:56

25. Mona Utsunomiya (Japan) - 21:03

26. Mei Hosomi (Japan) - 21:04

29. Michi Kawanishi (Japan) - 21:18

31. Airi Mashiba (Japan) - 21:20

Team

1. Uganda - 29

2. Kenya - 29

3. Japan - 87

U20 Men

1. Frankline Kibet (Kenya) - 23:18

2. Emmanuel Kiprono (Kenya) - 23:20

3. Andrew Kiptoo Alamisi (Kenya) - 23:28

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15. Haruki Niizuma (Japan) - 24:31

21. Junsei Murakami (Japan) - 25:17

31. Ojiro Honda (Japan) - 25:52

46. Kota Tamura (Japan) - 26:26

DNF - Rikuto Ikeya (Japan)

DNF - Kain Inagaki (Japan)

Team

1. Kenya - 10

2. Uganda - 31

3. U.S.A. - 75

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6. Japan - 113

Senior Women

1. Agnes Jebet Ngetich (Kenya) - 31:28

2. Joy Cheptoyek (Uganda) - 32:10

3. Senayet Getachew (Ethiopia) - 32:13

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48. Wakana Itsuki (Japan) - 35:57

53. Momoka Kawaguchi (Japan) - 36:21

60. Sora Shinozakura (Japan) - 37:10

Team

1. Ethiopia - 19

2. Kenya - 36

3. Uganda - 37

Senior Men

1. Jacob Kiplimo (Uganda) - 28:18

2. Berihu Aregawi (Ethiopia) - 28:36

3. Daniel Simiu Ebenyo (Kenya) - 28:45

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51. Ryuto Igawa (Japan) - 31:13

52. Yuma Shimoo (Japan) - 31:14

62. Hiroto Yoshioka (Japan) - 31:39

77. Daiki Ozawa (Japan) - 32:44

Team

1. Ethiopia - 30

2. Kenya - 34

3. Uganda - 39

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12. Japan - 242

Keita Sato Joins Swoosh TC

After appearing at a Nike event on Apr. 3, U20 1500 m NR and indoor 3000 m and 5000 m NR holder Keita Sato , 22, updated his Instagram profile to announce that he is joining Nike's Swoosh TC . At the Nike event Sato said that he plans to run the 1500 m at the Apr. 11 Kanaguri Memorial Meet, then will move to the U.S. "To be successful at the global level I need to train and grow alongside world-class athletes," he said. "I have to take every day seriously in order to achieve that dream of being internationally competitive." Swoosh TC was founded last year. Its coach Mike Smith has guided many athletes to international championships, including prior to Swoosh TC's launch, with some earning medals and podium finishes under his leadership. photo © 2026 Brett Larner, all rights reserved source article: https://www.rikujyokyogi.co.jp/archives/204241/2 translated by Brett Larner

Kanakuri Memorial Meet Streaming and Start Lists

Japan's outdoor Grand Prix season kicks off Saturday in Kumamoto at the Kanakuri Memorial Meet . Streaming will be at the link above starting at 9:30 a.m. local time. Complete timetable and start lists . Main events and some noteworthy entries: GP Women's 800 m Heat 2 - 12:10 p.m. All-time JPN #4 Ayano Shiomi , 2:01.01 GP Men's 800 m Heat 2 - 12:30 p.m. GP Women's 3000 mSC - 2:45 p.m. All-time JPN #4 Yuzu Nishide , 9:38.95 All-time JPN #5 Manami Nishiyama , 9:39.28 South Korean NR holder Ha-Rim Cho , 9:53.09 GP Men's 3000 mSC - 3:05 p.m. All-time JPN #2 Ryoma Aoki , 8:18.75 All-time JPN #5 Yutaro Niinae , 8:19.54 All-time JPN #7 Hibiki Obara , 8:22.64 All-time U20 JPN #2 Tetsu Sasaki , 8:29.05 All-time U20 JPN #3 Soma Nagahara , 8:30.37 GP Women's 1500 m Heat 2 - 3:35 p.m. Teresiah Muthoni , 4:02.54 Margaret Ekalale , 4:09.64 all-time JPN #3 Ran Urabe , 4:07.90 All-time JPN #6 Tomoka Kimura , 4:09.79 All-time U20 #5 Mei Sakiyama , 4:13.67 GP Men's 1500...

Aoyama Gakuin University Launches Women's Ekiden Team With Goal of "Stopping the Declining Numbers in the Sport"

2026 Hakone Ekiden champion Aoyama Gakuin University held a press conference Apr. 4 at its Sagamihara campus announcing that it was adding a women's ekiden team to its track and field program. In its first year the team has only 2 members, Nodoka Ashida of Ritsumeikan Uji H.S. , and Kairi Ikeno of Suma Gakuen H.S . The team's head coach will be Susumu Hara , who coached the AGU men to their second Hakone threepeat this year and had a hand in the GMO corporate team's first-ever New Year Ekiden win. At the press conference he talked about the reasons for launching a women's team, and the harsh realities facing women's track and field. AGU is the undisputed leader in the evolution of the university men's ekiden circuit, but adding a women's team represents a new challenge. Hara cited 3 objectives in expanding the AGU program: "creating an environment where female athletes can balance competition and life events," "expanding the opportunities...

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