Starts to look elsewhere, not getting the hoped-for distance (6)
I believe the answer is:
length
'for distance' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'starts to look elsewhere not getting the hoped' is the wordplay.
'starts to' indicates taking the first letters.
The initial letters of 'look elsewhere not getting the hoped' is 'LENGTH'.
(Other definitions for length that I've seen before include "Extensiveness - measure" , "Extent from end to end" , "Extension in space" , "stretch" , "A bit of swimming" .)