ADRIAAN WILDSCHUTT ran like the wind in “The Windy City” to smash Precious Mashele’s South African 10km record in winning the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Gqeberha 10K.
The America-based athlete, originally from Ceres in the Western Cape, clocked 27:28, slicing a full seven seconds off the time set by Mashele on the same course two years ago.
Wildschutt had aimed to run a 27-minute flat, but with the pace-setters going slow early in the race, he took charge to try to make up for lost time. He went through halfway in 13:54 – a good 24 seconds slower than he’d planned – and with a headwind later in the race, it was touch and go for the record.
But the 26-year-old, a superbly talented athlete, gritted his teeth and went for it. Once he’d dropped the challenge of Ethiopia’s Akilu Asfaw, who eventually finished fourth, Wildschutt was racing the clock, repeatedly checking his watch as he picked up the pace.
In the end, he comfortably broke the record, adding it to the other three South African records he holds – 3000m (7:32.99), 5000m (12:55.02) and 10,000m (26:50.54) on the track.
Kenya’s Vincent Kipkorir finished second in 27:47, while Boxer Athletics Club’s Kabelo Mulaudzi completed the podium in 27:57.
Wildschutt was understandably delighted with the victory and the record:
“It feels good. Coming onto the back straight – the last three or four kays – I knew it was going to be a real fight. But I also wanted the win so badly. I had a guy with me and I made a big surge at three k and then again at six k, and I knew it was going to cost me in the last three kays. But if I didn’t make those moves, I would not have broken the record.
“I knew the last two kilos were going to be a huge challenge, so I kept pushing against the wind and I was watching my clock the whole time – I’m glad I used my watch. I just kept squeezing, pushing, trying to get away from the wind a little bit, and squeezed the last two kays. The closer I got, the more I realised it might be right there, and I just made that final push over the last 500 metres.
“I’m so happy that I managed to pull it off.”
In the women’s race, South African superstar Glenrose Xaba was unable to break her record as she had hoped – the Boxer Athletics Club starlet finishing in third place in 31:56. The victory went to Kenya’s Jane Chacha in 31:45, with Ethiopia’s Selam Gebre second in 31:50.