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'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
The most amazing 3 days of running! Day dream about it often – wish I could go back every 3 months!
Claire Hammon
Wildcoast Wildrun 2011
I wanted to write a note to thank each person of the team for an absolutely incredible four days on the Wild Coast. I looked forward to the Wildrun for months but nothing could’ve prepared me for how awesome it actually was. It was without question the best sporting ‘holiday’ I’ve ever had; I was lucky to be with great friends but everything you did completed the experience. I hope to be back.
Kevin Welman
Wildcoast Wildrun® 2013
"A heartfelt thank-you for a truly magnificent seven days in the Ai-Ais Richtersveld National Park. What a special experience it was to run through such a uniquely exquisite part of our beautiful Africa, and made all the more so by being in the unbelievably capable hands of the Wildrunner team. Everyone on the event marvelled at how slick your operation is – quite honestly, I don’t know how you do it! I can only imagine the degree and depth of forward- and on-the-ground planning that has to go into not only creating a wilderness baby like the Richtersveld Transfrontier Wildrun®, but making it happen so smoothly and in such a fun atmosphere that it all looks so simple, so stress-free. That’s definitely an art, and you guys have mastered it! I can say without hesitation that the RTW was the best organised race I’ve ever done. And at risk of sounding corny, I loved every minute."
Linda Doke
The Namibia Crossing 2016
"The Wildrun has been the highlight of 14 years of running and frankly it has been a life changer for me too!"
Tamara McMillan
Wildcoast Wildrun® 2014
Still can hardly believe that we were lucky enough to experience such a unique adventure . It really was special the attention to detail, the food , the animals and the amazing staff .
Frances Orzechowski
Safari-on-the-Run™: Mapungubwe 2017
"Many thanks for a truly awesome experience. It has been one of the most outstanding adventures of my life. Right up there with travels in Tibet, climbing in Karakoram, South America and Spitskop. I thought the run was very hard and unremitting, yet possible for the person with adventure in their soul."
John Brimble
Richtersveld Wildrun® 2014
We had the most fantastic time. It was profoundly the most astounding experience ever. I had to pinch myself daily to be sure I wasn’t dreaming. The organization just brilliant – tents, exquisite meals, cold beers, G&T on the hill at sunset with spectacular views, staff just going out of their way to be helpful. The logistics behind getting an event such as this to run without a hitch must be mind-blowing and you guys pulled it off. Not to mention the wildlife, fascinating history and incredible community involvement.
Bryan Mulliner
Safari-on-the-Run™: Mapungubwe 2017
Today is Wednesday, and I am supposed to be working but can’t get the weekend out of my head! It was an experience of a life time and just want to say thanks for a excellent organised Lesotho Wildrun. Every now and then I catch myself day dreaming about the weekend, somewhere between the biggest mountains I have ever seen, completely lost with only my GPS in one hand, a map in the other and my running partners scattered all over the mountain looking for a cattle track which will hopefully lead us towards the finish. This was my first trail run ever and I had certain expectations of the race, but never in my wildest dreams could I have dreamt of it being such a amazing experience, the LWR 2012 was more than just a trail run it was unforgettable experience of a life time.
Boeta Van Tonder
Lesotho Wildrun 2012
Thanks for a great event – I loved it. I thought your organisation was outstanding.
Peter Hathorn
Wildcoast Wildrun® 2012