Algeria’s El Hocine Zourkane won the men’s title over a testing course at St Gallen in 30min 21.00sec with South Africans Alfred Mokopane Rantso and Thamsanqua Khonco taking the silver and bronze medals in 30:30.7 and 30:33.5 respectively.

But Sota Watanabe, fourth in 30:39.3, and Yuhei Urano, sixth in 30:50.1 headed a Japanese effort that earned them second place on 35 points in the overall men’s rankings behind South Africa, who totalled 33, with Morocco third on 40.

Germany’s Caterina Granz earned the women’s individual title in 34:53.4 ahead of Japan’s Rika Kaseda, who clocked 34:58.8, and Morocco’s Soukaina Atanane, who recorded 35:13.4.

Japan were clear winners of the women’s team title, however, with 17 points, well clear of Germany, who totalled 49, and third-placed Italy, who recorded 51.

It was the first time Switzerland had hosted this event since the inaugural running at Lausanne in 1978.