THANKS FOR VOTING!! AND THE WINNER IS…ADRIAN’S 13:02 5,000!!!
Adrian’s race now joins the winners of the Women’s Track, Road Races/XC, and Marathons categories in our 2023 Performance of the Year Finals.
VOTE FOR YOUR OVERALL FAVORITE PERFORMANCE HERE
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NOMINEES FOR OUR 2023 HOKA NAZ ELITE MEN’S TRACK PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Cruz Culpepper breaks four in pro debut
Just 20 years old, Cruz showed up at the Terrier Classic in Boston and promptly set a PB (and then team record) of 3:57.19 for the mile. Later in the meet he came back and helped pace Woody Kincaid to the American Record at 5,000 meters.
Olin Hacker earns bronze at USA Indoors
Olin made his pro debut in January with a PB of 7:45.46 over 3,000 meters at the Terrier Classic. In his second race he set another PB (and then team record), running 7:43.94 at the Millrose Games. One week later he traveled to nearby Albuquerque, New Mexico and finished third at the USATF Indoor Championships.
Adrian Wildschutt breaks the South African National Record for 10,000 meters
After putting in a monster training block, Adrian made his long-awaited pro debut on May 6 at the On Track Fest over 10,000 meters…and he did not disappoint. With just under 3k to go, he broke away from teammate Alex Masai and impressively soloed the next seven laps to finish in 27:23.10. The time was a PB, a team record, and a South African national record.
Olin Hacker wins the HOKA Festival of Miles
Olin traveled to Saint Louis to work on his speed and racing tactics with the USATF Outdoor Championships just over a month away. With a lap to go, and nearly three full seconds back of the leader, Olin unleashed a ferocious kick–running 55.19 for the final 400 en route to a victory in 3:56.59. The time was a PB and a team record.
Olin Hacker wins the Portland Track Festival 5,000 meters
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Just three days after his win at the Festival of Miles, Olin was in Portland to run the 5,000 at the Portland Track Festival. Needing a sub 13:20 to guarantee his spot at the USATF Outdoor Championships, Olin found himself all alone after halfway. That made the job tougher, but he got it done anyway–ripping off a 58.69 final circuit to stop the clock at 13:19.28.
Alex Masai finishes seventh at the Kenyan Trials
Let’s face it; trying to make the World Championships Team for Kenya at 10,000 meters is no easy task. Kenyan men have won at least one medal in the 10,000 at 16 of the 19 World Championships (including a bronze from Alex’s brother Moses in 2009). At the 2023 Trials, Alex hung tough with the front pack for three-quarters of the race before eventually finishing seventh. His 27:59 at 5,800 feet in Nairobi in the middle of the afternoon was mighty impressive.
Olin Hacker finishes seventh at USA Outdoors
The 5,000 meters has become one of the deepest events at the USATF Championships with multiple athletes who have broken, or are capable of breaking, the 13:00 barrier. Olin put himself right in the thick of it and ran a 1:53 final 800 to finish seventh–just 2.2 seconds out of third.
Adrian Wildschutt runs 13:02 for 5,000 meters (another National Record)
At the KBC Night of Athletics in Heusden, Belgium, meet organizers placed both Adrian Wildschutt and Olin Hacker in the “B” heat of the men’s 5,000 meters. Rather than mope about it, they made the most of it, running away from everyone in the race by 25 seconds to go 1-2 in 13:02.46 and 13:09.94. We’ve got to give the nomination here to Adrian though–his 13:02 smashed our team record and the South African national record, and automatically qualified him for next year’s Olympic Games in Paris.
Olin Hacker runs 7:38.10 for 3,000 meters
Five days after running sub 13:10 for 5,000, Olin and Adrian were back at it but this time over 3,000 meters in Luzern, Switzerland. Despite each having PBs well north of 7:40 they raced fearlessly, latching on the hot early pace with every intention of winning. Adrian surged to the lead and pushed hard with two laps to go. Olin pulled alongside his teammate with a lap to go and then put in a surge of his own with 250 to go. Only 7:29 man Dominic Lobalu was able to cover it. The two men battled all the way to the finish with Lobaly narrowly winning in 7:37.98 to Olin’s 7:38.10. The time was a huge PB and team record. Adrian crossed the line in 7:39.25, his third South African national record of the season.
Adrian Wildschutt finishes 14th at the World Championships
The 10,000 meters at the World Championships featured arguably the world’s best distance runner on the track, Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei, up against a field full of contenders wanting to take him down. For 7800 meters Adrian was right there amongst them, looking every bit the world class athlete that he is. Eventually, the pace was a bit too much (this was his first time running the 10k at the World Champs) but he held on for a more than formidable 14th-place finish.