Chiba International Cross Country
Encyclopedia
The Chiba International Cross Country is an annual cross country running
competition which takes place in Chiba
, Japan
in mid-February. It is one of the IAAF permit meetings which serve as qualifying events for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
.
Initiated in 1966, the Chiba Cross Country is held in Showa-No-Mori Park and features a competition schedule of eight races. These include a senior men's long course (12 km), a senior women's course (6 km), and a senior men's short course (4 km). Furthermore, there are three races for junior athletes which are of shorter distances, as well as two 3 km races for high school
runners.
Four of the races act as qualifiers for the World Cross Country Championship: the men's 12 km and the women's 6 km allow athletes to enter the senior world competition while the junior men's 8 km and junior women's 5 km enable runners to qualify for the junior section of the championships. The competition is one of three in which Japanese athletes can qualify for the World Championships; the others being the annual Fukuoka International Cross Country
and the biennial Asian Cross Country Championships
.
Over a thousand runners compete at the meeting each year, although the attendance record set in 1991 featured nearly twice as many participants. A select number of international athletes are invited to compete each year, although the majority of the field typically comprise a mix of Japanese runners and Japan-based Kenya
n athletes. Previous winners include Olympic gold medallists Samuel Wanjiru
and Derartu Tulu
, eight-time European cross country
champion Serhiy Lebid, and Tegla Loroupe
– twice winner of the New York City Marathon
.
The competition is televised on the NHK BS-1 channel by the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, the country's public broadcaster. After the International Chiba Ekiden
, the Chiba International Cross Country is the prefecture's premier athletics event.
The Chiba International Cross Country has also hosted the Asian Cross Country Championship race on two occasions (1995, 1997).
Key: (All other men's races 12 km and women's races 6 km)
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
competition which takes place in Chiba
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in mid-February. It is one of the IAAF permit meetings which serve as qualifying events for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Held annually and organised by International Association of Athletics Federations , it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the International Cross Country Championships...
.
Initiated in 1966, the Chiba Cross Country is held in Showa-No-Mori Park and features a competition schedule of eight races. These include a senior men's long course (12 km), a senior women's course (6 km), and a senior men's short course (4 km). Furthermore, there are three races for junior athletes which are of shorter distances, as well as two 3 km races for high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
runners.
Four of the races act as qualifiers for the World Cross Country Championship: the men's 12 km and the women's 6 km allow athletes to enter the senior world competition while the junior men's 8 km and junior women's 5 km enable runners to qualify for the junior section of the championships. The competition is one of three in which Japanese athletes can qualify for the World Championships; the others being the annual Fukuoka International Cross Country
Fukuoka International Cross Country
The Fukuoka International Cross Country is an annual cross country running competition which takes place in Fukuoka, Japan in either late February or Early March...
and the biennial Asian Cross Country Championships
Asian Cross Country Championships
The Asian Cross Country Championships is a biennial regional cross country running competition for athletes from Asia. It is organised by the Asian Athletics Association and was first held in 1991 in Fukuoka, Japan...
.
Over a thousand runners compete at the meeting each year, although the attendance record set in 1991 featured nearly twice as many participants. A select number of international athletes are invited to compete each year, although the majority of the field typically comprise a mix of Japanese runners and Japan-based Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n athletes. Previous winners include Olympic gold medallists Samuel Wanjiru
Samuel Wanjiru
Samuel Kamau Wanjiru was a Kenyan athlete, who specialized in long distance running. He became a professional at a young age and broke the world record in the half marathon when he was 18 years old...
and Derartu Tulu
Derartu Tulu
Derartu Tulu is an Ethiopian long distance track, road and marathon athlete.Derartu , a member of the Oromo ethnic group, grew up tending cattle in the village of Bekoji in the highlands of Arsi Province...
, eight-time European cross country
European Cross Country Championships
The European Cross Country Championships is an annual international cross country running competition. Organised by the European Athletic Association, it is the area championships for the region and is held in December each year...
champion Serhiy Lebid, and Tegla Loroupe
Tegla Loroupe
Tegla Chepkite Loroupe is a long-distance track and road runner, and a global spokeswoman for peace, women's rights, and education....
– twice winner of the New York City Marathon
New York City Marathon
The New York City Marathon is a major annual marathon that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is one of the largest marathons in the world, with 45,103 finishers in 2010...
.
The competition is televised on the NHK BS-1 channel by the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, the country's public broadcaster. After the International Chiba Ekiden
International Chiba Ekiden
The International Chiba Ekiden is an annual team road running competition held in Chiba, Japan in late November. The marathon relay race, or ekiden as it is known in Japan, is one of the prominent annual races of its kind. The competition is split into six legs which combine to make up the marathon...
, the Chiba International Cross Country is the prefecture's premier athletics event.
The Chiba International Cross Country has also hosted the Asian Cross Country Championship race on two occasions (1995, 1997).
Past senior race winners
- Note: Race data unavailable prior to 1987.
Key: (All other men's races 12 km and women's races 6 km)
| Edition | Year | Men's winner | Time (m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
Women's winner | Time (m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1966 | Not available | — | Not available | — |
| 22nd | 1987 | 35:17 | 19:45 | ||
| 23rd | 1988 | 35:03 | 21:19 | ||
| 24th | 1989 | 34:28 | 19:33 | ||
| 25th | 1990 | 34:04 | 19:01 | ||
| 26th | 1991 | 34:39 | 19:36 | ||
| 27th | 1992 | 35:03 | 19:24 | ||
| 28th | 1993 | 36:01 | 20:04 | ||
| 29th | 1994 | 35:35 | 19:25 | ||
| 30th | 1995 | 35:32 | 19:17 | ||
| 31st | 1996 | 36:37 | 20:05 | ||
| 32nd | 1997 | 35:50 | 19:55 | ||
| 33rd | 1998 | 36:32 | 20:37 | ||
| 34th | 1999 | 35:14 | 26:00 | ||
| 35th | 2000 | 35:38 | 26:53 | ||
| 36th | 2001 | 23:33 | 19:26 | ||
| 37th | 2002 | 35:29 | 25:43 | ||
| 38th | 2003 | 36:27 | 26:09 | ||
| 39th | 2004 | 35:04 | 18:38 | ||
| 40th | 2005 | 34:54 | 20:01 | ||
| 41st | 2006 | 35:22 | 19:12 | ||
| 42nd | 2007 | 35:05 | 19:15 | ||
| 43rd | 2008 | 35:27 | 19:50 | ||
| 44th | 2009 | 34:40 | 19:38 | ||
| 45th | 2010 | 34:52 | 19:39 | ||
| 46th | 2011 | 33:58 | 25:53 | ||