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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.

Chris Goodwin

Mr Hospitality. Chris sets the bar in travelling with style and class, running active tours throughout Africa and in far flung parts of the world for big international travel companies via his company Active Africa.

Jacqui Goodwin

Chris’s better half. A lively intellect earned through a doctorate in molecular biology, combined with a passion for all things outdoors, means that Jacqui can engage you in philosophical debate while hardly breaking a sweat on a bike or hike!

Dr Mark Middleton

Mark is Owen's big boet and you'll notice when you hear him talk that they sound exactly the same! Mark loves the outdoors and is an avid runner!

Eugene Muller

Eugene Muller, together with his wife Celeste, run their own medical response company in East London called 'Eastern Cape Medical Response'.  They have been working Wildrun Africa events since 2009 and bring unparalleled experience ​to these remote Wilderness running experiences.

Chris Chilvers

​Chris, Genevieve and their team of deft hands have kept many a body going over the years. Chris has been working the Wildrun events since 2009 and now it simply isn't a WIldrun without him!

 

Dave and Glenda Jupp

Tam’s folks - Dave and Glenda have spent a lifetime together, travelling the world and taking it as it comes. Having lived in Texas, Greece, France, England and Belgium, they came back to settle at home in the Cape, where they now try to take as much time off as possible!

Wildrun
Testimonials

What people are saying

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

The event is in a superbly stunning unique environment.. complemented by an abundance of expert education by those who know the land, its history and its ecosystems so well. As Stephen (Granger) put so well .. the visual, physical and educational elements instill the understanding of how privileged we are to experience those areas. The people!!! You can't help but build close relationships with the people who share your passions for the envirnment, running, hiking and the overall experience of multiday events. Owen and Tamaryn and their team of hardworking crew have EVERYTHING covered, our safety, comfort, delicious hot meals, entertainment and overall experience were meticulously planned and catered for, nothing was too much trouble. Absolute value for money, compared to similar styled international events, Wildrun® excel at delivering a first class experience at a very reasonable cost.  

Jaci Richards
The Namibia Crossing 2016

"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
Richtersveld Wildrun® 2016

"Thank you so very much for enabling us to have the privilege of running in such an amazing wilderness – the Richtersveld. It was hard, beautiful, awesome, challenging and so well worth it! Your teams - organising, logistics, kitchen, showers, water, safety, checkpoints and photography – surpassed themselves. Nothing was too much and always with a smile. The race was truly wonderful!"

Liz Brash
Richtersveld Wildrun® 2014

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

It is an experience of a life time. So well organised and you meet people from all over the world and you get to see apart of the world that not everyone gets to see and appreciate. You leave there feeling part of a second family.   

Diana Tanner
The Namibia Crossing 2016

"The decision to do the Wildrun was one of the best I have made in my life! The past four days have been exciting, nerve-wrecking, challenging, hilarious and uplifting…all-in-one. I realised how blessed we are to be healthy, fit and strong; what the true meaning of being a ‘running partner’ and friend is; how fulfilling it is to run in silence along the long stretches of beach (with the sound of the waves in my ears); how good it feels to be tired at the end of a fulfilling day; how wonderfully our bodies get restored after a decent meal and a good night’s rest… Many fond memories were made, which I will still be telling my great-grandchildren when my running days are long past."

Maryke Neizel
Wildcoast Wildrun® 2013

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

The Lesotho Wildrun was everything my fellow Wild Coasters had promised me it was – tough but amazing and I can’t think of a better way to see and experience a country. The organisation was brilliant as always, even down to the weather! And the hero’s welcome our sweep team received at the finish made the 30+ hours on our legs worth every minute. Can’t wait to put the photos on my pin board next to my Wild Coast ones!! And the very special blanket is already keeping me warm in this cold weather.

Ad Cole
Lesotho Wildrun 2012

Thanks again for a wonderful experience. Although it’s like asking which is your favourite child, I think Richtersveld was the best event I have ever done. After Puffer this year I had planned to stop events, but as I feel now, I’m reconsidering that decision.

Jorg Schmid
Richtersveld Wildrun® 2014