"I have to start focussing on the marathon" - Wildschutt eyes strong performance at LA2028

Following his 2:11:23 42.2km debut at the Chicago Marathon last month, Adriaan Wildschutt has revealed that he intends to compete over the marathon distance at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The holder of five South African national records from 3000m to the half marathon, the 28-year-old is ready to call time on a successful track career and discover what he can achieve over the marathon.

Wildschutt is ready to focus exclusively on the road as he builds towards the Olympic Marathon at #LA2028. Photo Credit: Supplied.

"I love the track. I spent four years there and feel like I achieved a decent amount. But I really want to find out if the marathon is my best event. I'm not going to be able to do that if I keep going back to the track. If I really want to be good at the marathon, specifically at LA, then I have to start focusing on the marathon. My goal is the Olympics. I don't care about all these other little things. Everything I'm doing right now is in preparation for that," explains the man who produced a national record of 26:50.64 to take ninth position in the fastest Olympic 10 000m final of all time at #Paris2024.

Because he believes that marathon will be his best event, Wildschutt wants to make sure he will be ready to compete for top honours in 2028. He says in order to be competitive in LA, he will need to race at least three more marathons before lining up at the Olympic Games.

Wildschutt in action during the fastest Olympic 10 000m race of all time in Paris. Photo Credit: Supplied.

“I will do the New York City Half Marathon if everything goes well and there are no injuries or whatever. I will do two marathons next year and then another marathon in the spring, maybe April 2028. That gives me another three marathons before the Olympic Games. One is going to be a fast one to try and run a fast time, while the other two will be about trying to place as high as possible,” he told #TheTopRunner.

Wildschutt was speaking at the HOKA store in Sandton city on Friday 6 November during the Johannesburg launch of his new autobiography entitled, A Change of Pace: From Dirt Roads to the Olympic Track. Inspired by the Bella Vista community in the Western Cape farming town of Ceres where he was born and bred, the book aims to encourage young people to recognise their potential and pursue opportunities through hard work, both in sport and academics. His message, which includes personal lessons learnt on the road to success, is rooted in humility, sacrifice and gratitude.

Wildschutt speaking during the launch of his new book at the HOKA store in Sandton City on Friday 6 November. Photo Credit: MWMedia.

"It is very sad to see that a lot of the people I grew up with are still in exactly the same place they were ten years ago. This is not a criticism of them, because everyone can live their lives the way they prefer. But I see so much wasted potential in people who are probably just as talented as I am. I want to communicate that if you work hard in both facets of your life, the sky is the limit. My academics were strong and my running was good, and that allowed me to get scholarships and reach the next level."

"You can't fake hard work. You have to work hard to achieve anything meaningful, and you are going to have to sacrifice. But you must also never lose your humility, regardless of how far you come in life. It is difficult for me to claim my success is mine alone because without all those people who played a role in my journey, I probably wouldn’t be here today."