Athletics South Africa backs a mix of experience and emerging talent for the global event this weekend as Glenrose Xaba leads the team.
Tallahassee, United States (09 January 2026) – Athletics South Africa has sent a 28-member squad to the United States for the World Athletics Cross Country Championships, with the national team arriving in Tallahassee ahead of Saturday’s highly competitive event.
The South Africans will line up against the world’s elite distance runners across several races, including the senior men’s and women’s 10km events, the U20 men’s 8km and U20 women’s 6km races, as well as the senior mixed 4x2km relay.
Team coach Violet Semenya believes the squad has the depth and experience to be competitive, particularly in the senior categories.
“It’s a strong team, especially among the seniors,” Semenya said. “We have our anchor in Adriaan Wildschutt, as well as athletes who are based in the United States and understand how to race at this level. The mixed relay is also exciting, and if the athletes trust themselves, I believe we can come away with good results.”
Adriaan, who is based in the US and did not attend the team send off on Wednesday, will lead the senior men’s 10km challenge. He arrives at the championships in strong form after finishing 10th in the 10 000m at both the 2024 Olympic Games and the 2025 World Athletics Championships. Last year, the long-distance runner also turned heads internationally when he broke the South African half-marathon record on his debut over the distance in Valencia, underlining his status as one of the country’s leading endurance athletes.
In the senior women’s race, Glenrose Xaba will once again carry South Africa’s hopes. The experienced campaigner is set to compete in her fifth consecutive World Athletics Cross Country Championships and remains one of the most reliable performers in the national setup.
Glenrose enjoyed a standout 2025 season on home soil, highlighted by a dominant victory at the Jozi SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge. She completed a historic clean sweep of all five races in the SPAR Grand Prix series, making her the first South African athlete to achieve the feat.
The mixed 4x2km relay team of Luan Munnik, Christopher Swart, Karabo More and Carina Viljoen will also be looking to make an impact, with Coach Semenya confident the team can challenge strongly if execution goes according to plan.
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