Fukuoka International Cross Country
Encyclopedia
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. It is one of the IAAF permit meetings which serve as qualifying events for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
.
First held in 1987, the Fukuoka Cross Country is held at the National Cross Country Course near the Uminonakamichi Seaside Park
in Higashi-ku, Fukuoka
. The course is a purpose-built cross country venue – it was created as the host course for the 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
.
The meeting features a competition schedule of eight races. These include a senior men's course (10 km) and a senior women's course (6 km). A total of four junior races take place, with long courses of 8 km for men and 6 km for women, as well as 4 km short course for both junior sexes. Furthermore, there are two relay race
s for high school
athletes which have legs of 2 km per runner.
Four of the races act as qualifiers for the World Cross Country Championship: the men's 10 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 6 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 Chiba International Cross Country
and the biennial Asian Cross Country Championships
.
A small contingent of foreign athletes are invited each year, but the fields of each race largely comprise Japanese runners. Previous winners include Olympic gold medallist Samuel Wanjiru
, who first won at the age of 16, and won three times consecutively between 2003 and 2005. World and Olympic gold medallist Meseret Defar
has also competed, winning the 2005 women's race.
The competition is televised on local Japan News Network channels by the Tokyo Broadcasting System
. The Fukuoka Cross Country meeting is one of the prefecture's top annual athletics events, along with the Fukuoka International Open Marathon Championship.
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 Fukuoka
Fukuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
, 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 either late February or Early March. 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...
.
First held in 1987, the Fukuoka Cross Country is held at the National Cross Country Course near the Uminonakamichi Seaside Park
Umino Nakamichi
Umino Nakamichi is a tombolo in Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. It connects Kyushu Island and Shikanoshima Island. It is 8km in length and up to 2.5 km in width. Its northern coast borders Genkai Sea and its southern coast Hakata Bay...
in Higashi-ku, Fukuoka
Higashi-ku, Fukuoka
is one of the seven wards of Fukuoka City, Japan. As of 2004, it has a population of 275,652 people and an area of 66.68 sq. km. Its name literally means "east ward".Kashii is in this ward. It is south of neighbouring Shingū, Fukuoka....
. The course is a purpose-built cross country venue – it was created as the host course for the 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 34th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 1-2 April 2006 in Fukuoka, Japan.The event was once again dominated by Ethiopian and Kenyan runners and also Eritrean runners...
.
The meeting features a competition schedule of eight races. These include a senior men's course (10 km) and a senior women's course (6 km). A total of four junior races take place, with long courses of 8 km for men and 6 km for women, as well as 4 km short course for both junior sexes. Furthermore, there are two relay race
Relay race
During a relay race, members of a team take turns running, orienteering, swimming, cross-country skiing, biathlon, or ice skating parts of a circuit or performing a certain action. Relay races take the form of professional races and amateur games...
s 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....
athletes which have legs of 2 km per runner.
Four of the races act as qualifiers for the World Cross Country Championship: the men's 10 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 6 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 Chiba International Cross Country
Chiba International Cross Country
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....
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...
.
A small contingent of foreign athletes are invited each year, but the fields of each race largely comprise Japanese runners. Previous winners include Olympic gold medallist 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...
, who first won at the age of 16, and won three times consecutively between 2003 and 2005. World and Olympic gold medallist Meseret Defar
Meseret Defar
Meseret Defar is a female long-distance runner from Ethiopia who competes chiefly in the 3000 metres and 5000 metres events. She has won medals at top-tier international competitions including Olympic and World Championship gold medals over 5000 metres...
has also competed, winning the 2005 women's race.
The competition is televised on local Japan News Network channels by the Tokyo Broadcasting System
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
. The Fukuoka Cross Country meeting is one of the prefecture's top annual athletics events, along with the Fukuoka International Open Marathon Championship.
Past senior race winners
- Note: Race data unavailable prior to 1995.
Edition Year Men's winner Time (m MinuteA 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...
:sSecondThe 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 MinuteA 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...
:sSecondThe 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 1987 Not available — Not available — 10th 1996 29:42 16:18 11th 1997 28:44 16:08 12th 1998 28:43 16:16 13th 1999 29:00 16:09 14th 2000 29:33 16:40 15th 2001 30:41 16:40 16th 2002 28:50 15:36 17th 2003 29:13 18:51 18th 2004 29:02 19:25 19th 2005 29:20 19:16 20th 2006 30:27 19:38 21st 2007 29:29 19:56 22nd 2008 28:18 18:54 23rd 2009 29:15 19:33 24th 2010 29:04 19:32 25th 2011 27:52 19:09