The focus of Indian distance running will firmly be on Ranchi this Saturday as the 60th National Cross Country Championships double up as the official selection trial for the 18th Asian Cross Country Championships, scheduled to be held in Fukuoka, Japan, on February 21.
With places in the Indian national team on the line, the country’s top endurance athletes will line up across age groups in what is expected to be one of the most competitive domestic meets of the season.
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has confirmed that selections for both senior and junior (U20) national teams will be based entirely on performances at this championship. AFI President Bahadur Singh Sagoo stated that the top four finishers in each of the senior men, senior women, junior men and junior women races will earn automatic selection for the Asian meet, making the Ranchi races a straight shootout for international representation.
“The AFI will select a 16-member national team, including eight women athletes, for the Asian Cross Country Championships in Japan,” Sagoo said. “The best four runners in each of the senior and junior categories will form the Indian contingent for Fukuoka.”
This selection format ensures that the strongest current performers, rather than those selected on reputation or past results, will represent India on the continental stage. Cross country running, with its combination of endurance, strength and tactical intelligence, remains one of the most demanding disciplines in athletics, and AFI’s approach underlines its commitment to rewarding consistency and form.
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The Ranchi championships will see a massive turnout, with 35 teams from affiliated state units confirmed to participate. In total, 732 athletes, including 328 women runners, have registered for what is also the first major domestic athletics competition of the 2026 season. Such numbers reflect the growing depth of Indian distance running, particularly at the junior and youth levels, where participation has been steadily rising.
The event will feature races across a wide range of age groups, offering a full picture of India’s endurance pipeline. Senior men and women will compete over a gruelling 10 km course, which will serve as the primary selection race for the Asian Championships. Junior men (U20) will run 8 km, while junior women (U20) will cover 6 km. The U18 boys will also run 6 km, with U18 girls racing over 4 km. For the youngest categories, U16 boys and girls will compete over a 2 km distance.
These varied distances ensure that athletes are tested appropriately for their age and development level, while also allowing selectors to identify future long-distance prospects early.
The Asian Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka will be India’s next major international assignment following a tough outing at the 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, USA, earlier this month. Competing against the world’s best, the Indian contingent gained valuable experience on a demanding global stage.
In the senior men’s 10 km race at Tallahassee, Gulveer Singh emerged as India’s leading runner, finishing 40th in a strong international field with a time of 30:39. While not a podium performance, it was a credible showing in a race dominated by elite African and European athletes and provided an important benchmark for India’s endurance standards going into the Asian season.
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India also fielded a mixed relay team in the 4×2 km event, a format that is increasingly becoming popular in global cross country competitions. The quartet of Ajay Saroj, Pooja, Yoonus Shah and Ankita finished 12th overall with a combined time of 24 minutes 13 seconds. The relay result, in particular, highlighted India’s improving competitiveness in shorter, high-intensity cross country formats.
The performances at the World Championships have added extra context to the Ranchi selections. For Indian runners, the Asian Cross Country Championships represent an opportunity to convert that global exposure into tangible continental success. Asia, while highly competitive, offers more realistic medal and top-10 prospects for Indian athletes, especially in the women’s and junior categories.
Fukuoka’s course is expected to demand strong aerobic capacity and efficient pacing, making Saturday’s races in Ranchi crucial not just for selection but also as an indicator of readiness. Athletes who can handle the pressure of a national championship with international stakes will be the ones best suited to face the tactical and physical challenges in Japan.
From AFI’s perspective, the Ranchi championships mark the beginning of a critical year in the build-up to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle. Cross country plays a vital role in developing endurance runners who can later transition successfully to track events such as the 5,000 m, 10,000 m and marathon. Strong performances here often signal athletes who will feature prominently in the national plans over the next two to three years.
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With over 700 athletes set to compete and national selection at stake, the 60th National Cross Country Championships promise to deliver both intensity and insight into the current state of Indian distance running. For the top runners, Saturday is not just about winning a national title, but about earning the right to wear India’s colours on the Asian stage in Fukuoka.
