After a standout 2025 season that saw him better four national records, Adriaan Wildschutt has set his sights on further record-breaking achievements in 2026.
Wildschutt will return to the Absa Run Your City Gqeberha 10K on Sunday, March 1, aiming to become the first athlete to clock a sub-27-minute 10km on African soil.
“It would mean a lot to run sub-27:00 on SA soil and probably be one of my highest achievements and mean the world to me,” the 27-year-old said.
Wildschutt set an SA record of 27:28 on his Absa Run Your City series debut in “The Friendly City” in April last year, before Maxime Chaumeton eclipsed that mark with a 26:55 in Romania six months later.
Watched by his family, who had travelled from his hometown of Ceres in the Western Cape, the US-based Wildschutt produced a magnificent solo effort, taking the lead just after the 3km mark before romping home to a new SA 10km record in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro.
But to dip under 27 minutes for the first time, the Olympian, who set a new SA half marathon record of 59:13 at the Valencia Half Marathon in October, said strong competition and good pacemaking would be essential.
“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.
“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,” Wildschutt, who finished 13th at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, on Saturday, said.
He draws confidence from his ability to inspire local up-and-coming top runners, as well as the vocal support he always enjoys when racing on home soil.
That, coupled with his appreciation for a series that has provided much-needed opportunities for South African and African athletes to compete in a world-class event on the African continent, continues to drive him to use the Absa Run Your City Series as a platform for breaking barriers.
“It’s always such a pleasure and honour to run in South Africa,” he said.
“I understand that there are quite a few athletes I indirectly influence, and it’s great talking to them about the world of running and all facets of life.
“The Absa Run Your City Series has been a huge help in providing opportunities for us to run fast and compete against high-quality athletes.
“The incentives they provide also motivate us to prepare well for these races, which further enhances the competition.
“They have done a great job over the last few years and are still rising.
“I cannot see why they can’t achieve even higher international attention and attract the very top athletes in the world.”
Stillwater Sports managing director and founder of the Absa Run Your City Series Michael Meyer is thrilled that the talented athlete will be competing in the Bay again.
“We are excited to welcome Adriaan back to the Absa Run Your City 10K in 2026,” Meyer said.
“His consistency, professionalism and record-breaking performances over the past few seasons have been exceptional, and he continues to raise the bar for South African distance running.
“We want SA’s elite athletes to keep breaking records, pushing boundaries and setting new benchmarks on home soil.
“It’s incredibly exciting to witness this growth within the Absa Run Your City Series, and we are proud to watch South African athletes like Adriaan continue to shine, both locally and on the international stage.”
The race starts in Beach Road at 7am and the entry fee for licensed runners is R255 and R30 for a temporary licence.
Entries close on Monday, February 23, or once capacity has been reached. — Stillwater Sports