Adriaan Wildschutt added another string to his bow, setting a new national mark during a stunning 21km debut at the Valencia Half Marathon in Spain — a feat that bodes well for the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in the US early next year.
The versatile 27-year-old distance runner finished fifth in a time of 59:13 in a race won by former world record holder Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia in 58:02.
Wildschutt took a whopping 23 seconds off the five-year-old South African record of 59:36 that Stephen Mokoka had set in Poland in October 2020.
He had recently seen his SA 10km record broken by 23-year-old Maxime Chaumeton in Romania, but he extended his list of national marks to four with his latest performance. Apart from the half-marathon record, he also holds unbeaten marks over the 3 000m (7:32.99), 5 000m (12:55.02) and 10 000m (26:50.64) distances on the track.
“So many people have been asking me why I am putting my goals out there for everyone to see and potentially criticise. My response is simple: I like challenging myself, and I am not scared to fail.
“I feel like I thrive under pressure, even if it’s pressure I put on myself. I put my goals out there, whether I achieve them or not.
“In the end, I am doing this for myself and no one else really! In my debut half marathon in Valencia today, I ran a new Athletics South Africa record in a time of 59:13. It was quite windy over the last 8km, and I know I can go even faster. For now, I am very grateful to God and everyone else for always supporting me,” an elated Wildschutt posted, on Instagram shortly after the race.
The runner, who finished 10th in the 10 000m race at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo last month, will lead the SA senior men’s team in the 10km race at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee on 10 January 2026.
He will be joined by in-form SA cross-country champion Kabelo Mulaudzi, as well as Bennet Seloyi (who won the recent ASA Cross Country Trials in Tshwane), Sanele Masondo, Chris Mhlanga and Musawenkosi Mnisi. National champion Glenrose Xaba will lead the senior women’s team.
