The Essence
of Wildrun
Who we are
The heartbeat of the Wildrun® is exploring & experiencing truly wild places on the run. Be it on the Wild Coast of South Africa, the remote mountains of Lesotho, the geologically & botanically rich Richtersveld desert or the bushveld of Mapungubwe, each Wildrun® is unique and will be sure to leave an indelible impression on your life.
No markers. No massive crowds. Just you, your sense of adventure and a truly wild place. Be prepared to experience a run like no other.
The Story of
Wildrun(ner)
What we're about
Three or more days of wilderness trail running through some of the most rugged and beautiful scenery in Southern Africa. This is the backbone of a Wildrun®.
The Wildrun® is organised by Wildrunner, premier trail running event organisers in South Africa. We focus on pure trail running with a heartbeat born from a lifetime's passion of exploring wild places on the run.
Wildrunner was established in November 2007 and has held over 200 trail running events in seven South African provinces, as well as Internationally in Lesotho, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
With this comes a wealth of trail and mountain running event management experience that is unmatched in Africa.
The Wildrun
Management Team
Who runs the world
Owen Middleton
Founder & Managing Director
Trail running, sailing, mountaineering, adventure racing, orienteering, surfing, paddling, kloofing, rock climbing, fly fishing, scuba diving & mountain biking are the life-blood of what makes Owen tick.
Tamaryn Middleton
General Manager
The Real Boss. She is the backbone of Wildrunner and will put a smile on your face any time of the day. Her passion is people, with a healthy dose of scuba diving, trail running and general adventure-seeking thrown in!
Marion Siebrits
Chief of the 100 acre wood (and damn good at catering to!)
Marion's ability to cook up a feast in the middle of nowhere is a gift. She is never short on laughter or practical jokes, but when it comes to delivery always the consummate professional, and when you taste her food you will no doubt agree!
Jason Sharrock
Hospitality & logistics
When not organising events Jason can be found smashing the waves on his surfboard or cruising the cattle trails on his Momsen mountain bike. From entertaining guests to making a plan with broken trailers, Jason is the wild asset working tirelessly behind the scenes to keep operations moving ahead smoothly.
Wildrun
Testimonials
What people are saying
"It was amazing! I enjoyed each moment and we saw more wildlife I thought we would see!! Also the landscapes were amazing, especially in Mapungubwe."
Marine Drouilly
Safari-on-the-Run™: Mapungubwe 2017
It's hard to really pinpoint what the very best thing about the Richtersveld Wildrun™ was for me. One would think the amazing, breathtaking rough beauty of the area would win hands-down… but on second thoughts, I think the warmth of the hosts and the people of the area, and the camaraderie of the fellow runners might just have snuck in and taken first place in my heart.
Melanie Nijland
Richtersveld Wildrun® 2014
'Thank you, thank you for the most magical time last week. It really was the best event I’ve ever been to, and by far the one that I’ve enjoyed the most. Initially I was worried that I hadn’t done enough training blah blah, but as we got further into the run I realised more and more that its really more about the people than the running. You guys and all the runners.
So – to you guys and all the unrelenting hard work you and your team put into looking after us – thank you again.'
Andrew Hishin
The Namibia Crossing 2019
It was a great event and I especially want to thank you guys for focussing on the event and not the racing. For me it was about the journey, the beautiful scenery and the meeting of likeminded people. It was great that the organisers also focused on that, rather than who came first! It made is so much more enjoyable! Thank you for the great organisation, it ran really smooth! It was really a pleasure to participate and Wildrunner did an excellent job. Thanks.
Liza Burmeister
Wildcoast Wildrun 2012
Thank you for welcoming us on this outrageously incredible inaugural event. It was truly a privilege to get to know all of you better, to share the good and the better on the trails and to be part of what will become a legendary event. Owen, Chris, Olivier, Jado & team - wow! Maxine, Jen, Karoline, Filippo & Gavin - you are fierce! Very sad to leave - will be cheering you on from CT! XO
India & Peter Baird
Rwanda Wildrun® 2019
Thank you to both of you for another truly unforgettable experience, as before faultlessly organised – thank you for making me smile all week as I remember small moments in a humongous 3 days!
Lissa Parsons
Lesotho Wildrun 2011
Wildrun Africa’s Rwanda 2019 inaugural trip was an absolute treat – from start to finish. Owen, Chris and their team of four local Rwandan youngsters Jado, Olivier, Emanuel and Danny laid on a completely unique trail-running experience. The Rwanda Wildrun was a bucket-lister of note that exceeded all my expectations. Rwanda has a very tangible soul – she is powerful, positive, hopeful. As a country, she has drawn me in hook, line and sinker and I have fallen quite hopelessly in love.
Karoline Hanks
Rwanda Wildrun® 2019
Just a note to thank you guys for yet another wonderful event and a truly great and memorable experience. The organisation as always was superb. The routes are excellent and just all round fantastic. Also thanks for accommodating Sharon at such a late stage, she really had a wonderful time and will have many a fond memory of the three days. You people work hard and with passion, so you deserve every bit of success you receive.
Roland van der Merwe
Lesotho Wildrun 2012
"Many thanks to you and the team for a truly wonderful experience. My soul could not get enough of the horizon to horizon beauty of the Wild Coast... at the necessary cost of a hammering to my feet!"
Mark Stone
Wildcoast Wildrun® 2014
"I cannot stop telling people about our life-changing experience at the Richtersveld – and I just wanted to thank you guys for making all of it possible. The organizing of this event was really world-class! Your team’s energy is incredible and inspirational! Please keep in doing what you are doing – you are exposing people to incredible places and experiences! It really changed my life!"
Thea-Mari Franken
Richtersveld Wildrun® 2015