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
Thank you all for a wonderful Wildrun. It was my first event and I was completely blown away by your professional organization and attention to detail. You honestly thought of everything from assisting us with our grubby toes to loading our bags at the crack of dawn WITH A SMILE ON YOUR FACES!!! I loved every moment of it and came back with a renewed appreciation of the beautiful country in which we live and what fabulous people form the running community. Thank you. It was life changing for me.
Claire Gatonby
Wildcoast Wildrun® 2013
"It was a huge privilege and a dream come true for me to have been able to participate in the 2014 Wildcoast Wildrun. I'm still trying to find appropriate words to be able to place the experience in perspective. I guess that I'll just have to return in 2015 to try and find those words somewhere along the magnificent 112 km coastline. Thank you to you and your fantastic team: you were so in touch with all our needs, fears, dreams and joys."
Hein Venter
Wildcoast Wildrun® 2014
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
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
"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
Many, many thanks once again for an awesome event!! You guys get better and better every year…..Phenomenal!!! While the coast, terrain and people are conducive an awesome experience, it’s you guys that always make it a truly memorable one and completely addictive!! I’m absolutely hooked on the high from taking and being part of this incredible journey and yet am humbled by the privilege. Not many people get these opportunities and something I always try to remind myself. Again, thanks so much for making Mark’s and my “holiday” and fantastic one!!
Martin Stewart
Wildcoast Wildrun 2012
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
"A must see, a must do... So many breaths taken away not by running, but by stopping, standing and staring. Words simply can't do it justice. The geology, the ecology, the diversity of the running, the incredible organisation, the camps, the people, the wilderness. I'll be heading back without a doubt next year - the only multistage race I've ever said that about. It's just too unique to miss. Come play."
Georgina Ayre
Richtersveld Wildrun® 2015
Thank you so much for once again organising an amazing event. We loved (and hated) every second of every day. You guys rock! Please thank the rest of your crew as well – I don’t think I have ever seen such a helpful bunch of people together. If you guys ever need any help at this event, please let us know.
Surita and Pieter Botha
Wildcoast Wildrun® 2012
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