China's Jinhua Hu did a lot of the work up front to pull the lead quartet along and was rewarded with the only individual Asian XC title not won by Japan. But in the last km she fell victim to Nami Kawakami, winner of the 1st leg for 2025 National High School Ekiden champion Nagano Higashi H.S., who outkicked Hu for the overall win and national title in 19:51. Nodoka Ashida was 3rd overall in 19:55, with Yui Onotora and Mona Utsunomiya taking 2nd and 3rd in the Asian XC placing. Japan took the team title over China, with India winning bronze.
Yudai Fujii finished strong to win the U20 men's 8 km national title, out kicking Koki Niizuma and top-placing Asian XC finisher Shinta Igarashi by 1 second for the win in 24:08. Kain Inagaki and Rikuto Ikeya were the next 2 Asian XC placers, giving Japan a perfect score of 6 for the overall team title. The top non-Japanese finisher in the Asian XC race was China's Boyang Li, back around 77th in 25:32 to lead China to team silver by 2 points over India.
Japan had another perfect team score in the Senior Women's 10 km. 3000 mSC NR holder Miu Saito crushed the lead group for the overall win and national champ status in 33:38, with Wakana Kabasawa, Momoka Kawaguchi and Amisa Murayama going 2nd, 4th and 7th overall to sweep the Asian XC medals and take the team title. China's Xia Luo was 13th overall in 35:10 for 4th in the Asian XC scoring, China taking another silver and India bronze again.
Japan's strongest team was in the Senior Men's 10 km, but that ended up being the race that came the closest to having a non-Japanese winner. 3000 mSC NR holder Ryuji Miura narrowly held off India's Harmon Jot Singh, winning 29:20 to 29:21. Yuma Nishizawa was 3rd overall for Asian XC bronze in 29:24, a couple of steps up on Japan's 3rd scorer Hiromichi Nonaka who was 4th overall in 29:26. Singh was the only Indian athlete in the race, and an unexpectedly strong team run from Kyrgyzstan gave them the team silver over China, Kyrgyzstan's only medal of the Championships and China's only squad not to take silver.
18th Asian Cross Country Championships Results
National Cross Country Championships
Fukuoka, 21 Feb. 2026
U20 Women's 6 km
1. Nami Kawakami (Nagano Higashi H.S.) - 19:51
2. Jinhua Hu (China) - 19:53 - 1st, Asian CC
3. Nodoka Ashida (Ritsumeikan Uji H.S.) - 19:55
4. Yui Onotora (Japan/Tohoku H,S.) - 19:55 - 2nd, Asian CC
5. Kaho Honda (Nagasaki Shogyo H.S.) - 20:01
6. Mona Utsunomiya (Japan/Sapporo Yamanote H.S.) - 20:16 - 3rd, Asian CC
7. Rena Imai (Nagano Higashi H.S.) - 20:25
8. Hinaki Nomura (Saikyo H.S.) - 20:32
9. Wakana Fukuyama (Saitama Sakae H.S.) - 20:35
10. Anna Svrcek (Ushiku H.S.) - 20:36
Team Results
1. Japan - 9
2. China - 20
3. India - 22
U20 Men's 8 km
1. Yudai Fujii (Miyazaki Nichidai H.S.) - 24:08
2. Koki Niizuma (Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S.) - 24:09
3. Shinta Igarashi (Japan/Suijo H.S.) - 24:09 - 1st, Asian CC
4. Kain Inagaki (Japan/Rakunan H.S.) - 24:15 - 2nd, Asian CC
5. Kotaro Fujioka (Suma Gakuen H.S.) - 24:17
6. Sodai Monma (Kyushu Gakuin H.S.) - 24:18
7. Rikuto Ikeya (Japan/Komazawa H.S.) - 24:21 - 3rd, Asian CC
8. Sosuke Uesugi (Yachiyo Shoin H.S.) - 24:22
9. Yua Hayashi (Sapporo Yamanote H.S.) - 24:24
10. Ado Takenoshita (Tottori Johoku H.S.) - 24:25
Team Results
1. Japan - 6
2. China - 19
3. India - 25
4. Kazakhstan - 42
Senior Women's 10 km
1. Miu Saito (Panasonic) - 33:38
2. Wakana Kabasawa (Japan/Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 33:44 - 1st, Asian CC
3. Anna Suzuki (Shimamura) - 33:49
4. Momoka Kawaguchi (Uniqlo) - 33:55 - 2nd, Asian CC
5. Yuzu Nishide (Daihatsu) - 33:55
6. Mitsu Ozaki (Sysmex) - 34:01
7. Amisa Murayama (Japan/Tohoku Fukushi Univ.) - 34:05 - 3rd, Asian CC
8. Yumi Yamada (Osaka Gakuin Univ.) - 34:10
9. Airi Tajima (Juntendo Univ.) - 34:16
10. Yuka Takashima (Shiseido) - 34:25
Team Results
1. Japan - 6
2. China - 17
3. India - 22
Senior Men's 10 km
1. Ryuji Miura (Japan/Subaru) - 29:20 - 1st, Asian CC
2. Harman Jot Singh (India) - 29:21 - 2nd, Asian CC
3. Yuma Nishizawa (Japan/Toyota Boshoku) - 29:24 - 3rd, Asian CC
4. Hiromichi Nonaka (Japan/Koku Gakuin Univ.) - 29:26 - 4th, Asian CC
5. Ryuto Igawa (Asahi Kasei) - 29:30
6. Katsuhiko Suzuki (Subaru) - 29:32
7. Haruka Yamamoto (Juntendo Univ.) - 29:34
8. Kaisei Okada (Japan/Chuo Univ.) - 29:42 - 5th, Asian CC
9. Hiroki Matsueda (Fujitsu) - 29:50
10. Riito Ikema (Juntendo Univ.) - 29:53
Team Results
1. Japan - 8
2. Kyrgyzstan - 23
3. China - 34
4. Thailand - 40
5. Bangladesh - 67
6. Singapore - 68
© 2026 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
Comments
With the race this year being 1 minute slower than last year it was likely easier for him this time. Good showing by his former Juntendo teammate Nishizawa which turned out a very good corporate runner. Solid showing by other Juntendo guys showing consistency after their surprise performance at Hakone. Igawa showed up again too, Good win team Japan!