Distance runner Adriaan Wildschutt is looking to build momentum after breaking new ground in his first race of the year.
Opening his 2026 season, Wildschutt finished 13th in the senior men’s 10km race at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee last week.
It was the best result ever achieved by a South African in the senior men’s contest at the global showpiece, improving on the 15th-place finishes by Shadrack Hoff in Stellenbosch in 1996 and Stephen Mokoka in Punta Umbria in 2011.
After returning to SA on Tuesday with the rest of the national team, Wildschutt confirmed he would be in camp in Dullstroom over the next couple of months.
He would then compete at the Absa Run Your City 10km race in Gqeberha on 1 March before turning out at the New York Half-Marathon two weeks later.
In Gqeberha, he hoped to become the first athlete to run under 27 minutes on African soil, and potentially challenge the SA 10km record of 26:55 set by Maxime Chaumeton in Romania last year.
“It would mean a lot to run sub-27:00 on SA soil. It would probably be one of my very highest achievements and it would certainly mean the world to me,” said the 27-year-old athlete.
Pacesetters and competition needed
After winning the Run Your City race in Gqeberha in 27:28 last year, which was a national record at the time, Wildschutt admitted he would need some assistance from other runners if he was to take half-a-minute off that time.
“I want to emphasise how tall an order that is on this course, and I’d need competition. It wasn’t ideal running alone for most of the race last year,” he said.
“To even come close to sub-27, I need perfect weather (which is out of our control), as well as competitors who can push me all the way to the finish line.
“Pacers will also be extremely important and hopefully can pace even longer than 5km.”
Having broken the SA 21km record on debut, clocking 59:13 in Valencia last year, Wildschutt also confirmed he would compete in his second half-marathon in New York on 15 March.
* Featured image of Adriaan Wildschutt by Cecilia van Bers
