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.IAAF Cross Country Permits. IAAF (2010). Retrieved on 2010-02-12.
Initiated in 1966,Chiba International Crosscountry. Association of Road Racing Statisticians (2009-02-15). Retrieved on 2010-02-12. the Chiba Cross Country is held in Showa-No-Mori Park and features a competition schedule of eight races.Nakamura, Ken (2001-02-18). Chiba International Cross Country. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-02-12. 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.Nakamura, Ken (2010-02-12). Chiba Cross Country to determine Japanese World Cross teams – Preview. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-02-12.
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.Nakamura, Ken (2008-02-08). Chiba International Cross Country - PREVIEW. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-02-12. 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.Tulu versus Johnson in Chiba - Preview. IAAF (2004-02-13). Retrieved on 2010-02-12.
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 Kenyan 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.大会情報 . JAAF. Retrieved on 2010-02-12. After the International Chiba Ekiden, the Chiba International Cross Country is the prefecture's premier athletics event.Nakamura, Ken (2009-02-15). Karoki and Shimizu the winners at Chiba Cross Country. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-02-12.
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)
EditionYearMen's winnerTime (m:s)Women's winnerTime (m:s)1st1966Not available—Not available—22nd198735:1719:4523rd198835:0321:1924th198934:2819:3325th199034:0419:0126th199134:3919:3627th199235:0319:2428th199336:0120:0429th199435:3519:2530th199535:3219:1731st199636:3720:0532nd199735:5019:5533rd199836:3220:3734th199935:1426:0035th200035:3826:5336th200123:3319:2637th200235:2925:4338th200336:2726:0939th200435:0418:3840th200534:5420:0141st200635:2219:1242nd200735:0519:1543rd200835:2719:5044th200934:4019:3845th201034:5219:3946th2011Nakamura, Ken (2011-02-13). Karoki and Niiya win at Chiba Cross Country. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-02-13.33:5825:5347th2012Nakamura, Ken (2012-02-12). Kenyan high schoolers dominate at Chiba Cross Country. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-02-12.34:5926:4148th2013Nakamura, Ken (2013-02-10). Kenyans Ndirangu and Wanjiru win Chiba cross country races. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-02-28.35:0126:08 49th2014cancelled due to snow storms50th2015Nakamura, Ken (2015-02-09). Ndirangu and Buckman win at the Chiba Cross Country. IAAF. Retrieved on 2015-02-09.36:1428:3751st201625:0529:04
References General Chiba International Crosscountry. Association of Road Racing Statisticians (2009-02-15). Retrieved on 2010-02-12.
Specific
External links Japanese Athletics Association website Showa-no-mori park website