George Cross Island Association George Cross Island Association The George Cross Island Association is a charitable organisation that was initiated to honour and remember those that suffered during the Siege of Malta (World War II). The association has branches across the UK and a branch in Malta. The Patron of the G.C.I.A. is HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, KG, KT, Prince Phillip who himself served in Malta. The George Cross Island Association was founded by retired British Navy man Fredrick James Plenty (1921 to 1996). With the help of his one time Captain and a group of like minded veterans and servicemen, the association
Chiba International Cross Country 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