Adrian Wildschutt

ADRIAN’S STORY
Adrian grew up in Ceres, South Africa, a small town about 105 miles from Cape Town. He followed his older bother Nadeel to Coastal Carolina University where the two brothers were coached by fellow South African, and former world record holder, Zola (Budd) Pieterse. Adrian transferred to Florida State University during the COVID-19 pandemic and spent his final two years of eligibility competing for the Seminoles. He will finish up his Masters degree in the fall of 2022 in Tallahassee. 

PRO STATS
Adrian joined HOKA NAZ Elite in the summer of 2022, just before competing in the World Athletics Championships over 5,000 meters and the Commonwealth Games at 10,000 meters–where he finished fifth. After a long stint back home in South Africa, Adrian moved to Flagstaff full time in the spring of 2023 and opened his season with a massive personal best (and South African national record) of 27:23.10 to win the 10,000 meters at the On Track Fest. He knocked out his Olympic A Standard for 5,000 meters in July at the KBC Night of Athletics in Belgium, running 13:02.46–another national record. Less than a week later he did it again, setting another national record–this time at 3,000 meters in Lucerne, Switzerland (7:39.25). He finished up his stellar track season with a 14th-place finish in the 10,000 meters at the World Athletics Championships.

NCAA STATS
Adrian won a Sun Belt Conference Championship at 5,000 meters while competing for Coastal Carolina. He then won three ACC titles after transferring to Florida State. He was the runner-up at the 2020 NCAA Cross Country Championships (held in March of 2021) and sixth at the 2021 Championships. His senior track season saw him set personal bests indoors at 3,000 meters (7:52.38) and 5,000 meters (13:09.30)–the latter being a South African National Record. He was fourth at the NCAA Championships in the 5,000 and competed for South Africa in the 3,000 at the World Championships. Outdoors he ran a best of 27:38.54 at 10,000 meters and finished seventh in that event at the National Championships.