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
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
"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
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
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
Thank you Owen, Tamaryn and the rest of the amazing Wildrun crew for 3 of the best days of my life! The fact that one day after the event I am already missing the race, company of new friends and the beautiful wild coast, just shows that this was an unforgettable experience! Thank you for an extremely well organised event. Your attention to detail and making everything special to the runners did not go unnoticed! Your crew were amazing and everything and everyone worked together like a well-oiled machine. Thank you for hosting this unforgettable race in one of the most beautiful areas in South Africa (or even the world!). I wish every runner out there could experience this race. Thank you for everything you put into organising this event and for truly caring about each participant. I am actively recruiting runners for next year's event and hope to see you again next year. God bless you and your company!
Nicolette Koch
Wildcoast Wildrun® 2016
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
Lesotho Wildrun 2012
What a privilege to be able to participate in the journey event over the past few days. Trail was indescribably beautiful and was a pleasure to run. Thanks to Owen and team for the world class basis in which you have organized this event. I will definitely be back.
Mark van Houten
Wildcoast Wildrun® 2015
'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
"Your organisation of the event was out of the top-drawer and the Richtersveld will surely become a race of choice among international adventure seekers, and some international elites. Your formula is a great one and the personal and family touches rounded off the perfect way to spend five days."
Stephen Granger
The Namibia Crossing 2016
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