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 & 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.
Wildrun
Testimonials
What people are saying
"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
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
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 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
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
"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
I just want to thank you guys for such a wonderful epic experience these last few days. Thanks for being so organised and putting a wonderful stage run together! Your guys are awesome.
Erine Rossouw
Wildcoast Wildrun 2022
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
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
Just wanted to say thank you very much for such an inspiring unbelievable experience.
Kim Bulltemier
Safari-on-the-Run™: Mapungubwe 2017