japan running news

Japan dominated the 2018 World University Cross Country Championships Saturday in St. Gallen, Switzerland, taking the overall gold, women's team gold, men's team silver and one individual silver.

That silver came courtesy of Rika Kaseda (Meijo Univ.), who finished 5 seconds behind winner Caterina Granz (Germany) in the women's 10 km to lead four Japanese women into the top six for team gold. 2017 World University Games half marathon gold medalist Yuki Munehisa (Tokyo Nogyo Univ.) was 6th overall, Japan's 4th scoring team member.

【#世界大学クロカン】
女子レース速報
加世田選手(名城大)銀メダル獲得🎉
女子団体 金メダル獲得🎊

2位　加世田梨花(名城大)
4位　五島莉乃(中央大)
5位　関谷夏希(大東文化大)
6位　棟久由貴(東京農業大)
13位 棚池穂乃香(京都産業大)
15位 岡田佳子(松山大)#青春に駆けろpic.twitter.com/sLXoBWMUZR — 日本学生陸上競技連合 (@iuauj) April 7, 2018
The men came up empty-handed for individual medals, Sota Watanabe (Toyo Univ.) taking the top Japanese spot at 4th overall with teammate Yohei Urano (Koku Gakuin Univ.) close behind in 6th. South Africa scored two individual medals to ta…

http://www.athleticsasia.org/index.php/k2-component/113-japan-emerge-on-top-17th-asian-junior-athletics-2016

Japan's distance medals at the Ho Chi Minh Asian Junior Championships included the women's 1500 m silver, women's 3000 m gold, women's 3000 mSC gold, men's and women's 5000 m gold and silver and men's 10000 m gold.

Final Medal Tally - 17th Asian Junior Athletics Championships
1. Japan - gold: 13     silver: 10     bronze: 4
2. China - gold: 11     silver: 7     bronze: 4
3. India - gold: 7     silver: 4     bronze: 6
4. Malaysia - gold: 3     silver: 3     bronze: 1
5. Taiwan - gold: 2     silver: 3     bronze: 4
6. Thailand - gold: 2     silver: 3     bronze: 4
7. Vietnam - gold: 2     silver: 3     bronze: 2
8. Qatar - gold: 2     silver: 2     bronze: 0
9. Iraq - gold: 1     silver: 2     bronze: 0
10. South Korea - gold: 1     silver: 0     bronze: 2

by Brett Larner

Following the rebranding of the Chiba International Cross-Country Meet earlier this month as the trendier-sounding X-Run Chiba, Japan's mini XC season saw most of its action over the weekend.  The other big domestic meet alongside Chiba, the Fukuoka International Cross-Country Meet was likewise rebranded this year as the National Cross-Country Championships.  Yukari Abe (Team Shimamura) was crowned the first senior women's national champion, winning the 8 km race in 27:13 by a second over Tomoka Kimura (Team Univ. Ent.).  With Ethiopian Kassa Mekashaw (Team Yachiyo Kogyo) running up front to keep the pace hot, first-year pro Takashi Ichida (Team Asahi Kasei) had a surprise win over Hakone Ekiden Fifth Stage star Daichi Kamino (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) and, fresh from breaking 1:01 at the Marugame Half, the ascendant Keijiro Mogi (Asahi Kasei) to pick up the inaugural senior men's 12 km title in 35:59.  Fukiko Ando (Ritsumeikan Uji H.S.) and Sota Watanabe (Yoshi…