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

-----

12. Japan - 242

Chien Breaks TPE NR, Iwata Betters ID-Class WR - Weekend Track Roundup

The last weekend of the academic and fiscal year saw at least 5 meets with good results domestically and abroad. Kicking things off Friday was the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne, where Tomohiro Shinno and Naoto Hasegawa took 1st and 3rd in the men's high jump, both of them only clearing 2.18 m along with 2nd-placer Roman Anastasios . 12 other Japanese athletes were in action on the second day of the meet on Saturday, where 3000 mSC NR holder Ryuji Miura ran 3:42.84 for 6th in the men's 1500 m. Nagiya Mori had a better one in the men's 3000 m with a 7:45.40 for 4th. Both Yota Mashiko and Rui Suzuki cleared 8:00 too, Mashiko's 7:53.84 the 2nd-fastest ever by a Japanese-born high schooler. Abigail Fuka Ido and Nagisa Takahashi both placed 3rd in their events, Ido going 23.85 (-0.9) in the women's 200 m and Takahashi clearing 1.82 m in the women's high jump. 8 Japanese men were at The TEN in California to run 10000 m. In the B-heat won by Edward Marks in ...

JAAF Announces World Road Running Championships Half Marathon Team

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Updates on Transfers

April 1 is the start of Japan's new academic and fiscal year, and there's always a wave of transfer announcements to go with it. Some notable ones yesterday: 800 m NR holder Rin Kubo skipped university to go straight to 2023 Queens Ekiden national champion Sekisui Kagaku after her graduation from Higashi Osaka Keiai H.S. Multiple NR holder Nozomi Tanaka rejoined the Toyota Jidoshokki women's team after having left it to pursue a solo pro career as a New Balance athlete. Already on the team for this fall's Nagoya Asian Games in the 10000 m, Ririka Hironaka announced a switch from her longtime home at Japan Post to the Uniqlo women's team. Collegiate marathon record holder Asahi Kuroda joined the 2026 national champion GMO corporate team after graduating from 2026 Hakone Ekiden champ Aoyama Gakuin University last week. Hakone Ekdien First Stage CR holder Rui Aoki joins the Sumitomo Denko corporate team after running his final race for 2025 Izumo Ekiden w...

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