'I came for the record' - Wildschutt smashes SA Record on debut at Valencia Half

South African long distance sensation Adriaan Wildschutt showcased his talent with a remarkable 59:13 21km debut at the Valencia Half-Marathon in Valencia, Spain today (Sunday, 26 October). Apart from producing a world class clocking at the first time of asking, what made Wildschutt's accomplishment even more outstanding, was that he established a new South African Half-Marathon record, surpassing the previous national record of 59:36 held by Stephen Mokoka by 23 seconds. 

"I came for the record and I am thrilled to have achieved it. The last 8km was extremely windy and I found myself separated from the second pack, making it more challenging. I am confident that I can perform even better, which is highly encouraging," explains an elated Wildschutt who is based in the United States of America. 

Wildschutt in action at the Valencia Half Marathon where he set a new SA Record. Photo Credit: Supplied.

By adding a fourth national record to his existing collection (the 27-year-old is already the holder of the 3 000m, 5 000m, and 10 000m SA Records), Wildschutt secured a fifth-place finish overall against a world-class field led by former World Half-Marathon record holder Yomif Kejelcha, who won the race in 58:02.

"Our group's goal pace was 28:00 through 10km, which would have put us on track for a 59:00 finish. We crossed the 10k mark in 27:52 and the 15k mark in 41:40, at which point I knew the record was within my reach. I was determined to push through and achieve it. As a debutant, I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform, and I thrive on that challenge. I believed that 59:36 was a reasonable target, and I am excited to have achieved this record. I recognize that records are temporary, but they provide me with an opportunity to continually challenge myself," he told #TheTopRunner.

Wildschutt trained well for his half marathon debut. Photo Credit: Adriaan Wildschutt.

The Ceres-born HOKA top runner is having a season marked by varying degrees of success; in April, he won the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K in a lifetime best 27:28 to set a new national 10km record. Nevertheless, this record was recently surpassed by Maxime Chaumeton, who ran an impressive 26:55 in Romania three weeks ago, thereby becoming the first South African athlete to break the 27-minute barrier. Wildschutt is generally satisfied with his season, despite feeling that he fell short of his potential at last month’s World Championship in Tokyo, Japan.

"This year has been satisfactory, I would say, although I had aspired to achieve a higher placement in Tokyo, unfortunately, it did not materialize. I am also venturing into road running, as I have not done so extensively in the past five to six years. At present, I am not making any long-term commitments regarding my future plans, but I will undoubtedly continue to explore road running," explains the Olympian who finished in 10th place in 10 000m in World Championship. 

Wildschutt after taking 10th place in the 10 000m at the 2025 World Championships. Photo CRedit: Supplied.

He ended by thanking his team for their invaluable support in helping him attain his ambitious goals. His next priority is to prepare for the 2026 World Cross Country Championship in the United States. "I am grateful for the team that helps me prepare for these events, and I appreciate their assistance. The support of my family is also evident whenever I compete, regardless of their presence. After a brief period of rest, I will concentrate on the world cross-country championships in January," he concluded.