About | Wildrun

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!

James Rowlands

James is arguably our most experienced operations guy and has been working with Wildrunner for over 10 years now, from our day races to multi-days. From course marking, to 4x4, to hospitality to general operational support, James is always there to help.

Liberty 'Libs' Domingo

Proudly Zimbabwean, Libs is our king of remote camp setups. From perfectly straight rows of tents to fast moving logistics, Libs remains unflappable and committed every step of the way. Extremely resourceful and always willing to lend a hand outside of his responsibilities, the Wildrun operations would not be the same without Libs on the team.

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!

Mark Sampson

Our master lensman of many many years now, Mark manages to capture the essence of the Wildrun experience time and time again. When he is not charging around with a camera, Mark is a father to three and dabbles with a bit of fishing here and there...even for carp. Most of the photos you see on this website are Marks.

Chris Chilvers

Chris is the chief of massage, leading his team of deft hands that have kept many a tired body going on the Wildrun. When he and his team are not working magic into tired legs, they get their hands dirty with all manner of event support - from packing trailers to branding. Chris has been working the Wildrun events since 2009 and now it simply isn't a WIldrun without him!

Marion & Myles Siebrits

M&M as they are fondly known, go way back in the Wildrun story. Marion took over in the field kitchen in 2016 and quickly showed us what an operator she is! Together with Myles they ran the catering show until Namibia Crossing 2024. While they might have hung up their catering boots, we can't keep them away and hence can now be found out in the field. Most often you will find M&M at the aid stations, cheering everyone in and offering up the snacks.

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!

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.

JC & Elinza van Niekerk

JC and Elinza have been our specialist field medic team for events in the bush veld and Namibia since 2017. Underneath JC's imposing frame is the most caring, considerate and experienced medical professional. He has trained in firefighting, medical emergency response, disaster management and most recently in health education. Elinza supports JC at the Wildrun events. They are based in Bloemfontein in South Africa's Free State province.

Wildrun
Testimonials

What people are saying

"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."

Kevin Welman

WIldcoast WIldrun® 2013

I have now settled back into the routine of what is everyday life after having spent a life changing 3 days on the Wild Coast, running what I believe is the most amazing run in the word! Sitting behind my desk I often find my mind wandering back to the wonderful event that you have organized. I just wanted to again thank you for a brilliant “journey” that you and the team have organized for us privileged few. Please thank the team for all their efforts and for hosting the best run in the world!!!! Your organization was phenomenal and that added to a very special experience.

Iaan van Heerden

Wildcoast Wildrun 2012

"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

"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

Thanks for a great event – I loved it. I thought your organisation was outstanding.

Peter Hathorn

Wildcoast Wildrun® 2012

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

Not only was this event in a stunning location, but it was also one of the best organised events I have ever done. Highly recommended.

Rose-Anne Hawkeswood

The Namibia Crossing 2024

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

I just want to express my appreciation to you and your entire team for a most wonderful adventure in Lesotho. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire event, and was greatly impressed with the level of organization, friendliness and care throughout. I certainly hope to be back next year.

Erik Hallendorff