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
"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 just wanted to say thank you to you and your team for an absolutely magnificent event. We thoroughly enjoyed it – the scenery was magnificent, the run and the company was great, and the team’s genuine caring and friendly attitude really made us feel at home, and is quite unique for an event of this magnitude. Having organised events in past, Werner and I are both very aware of how much work and planning (and stress) goes into putting on an event such as this. Everything ran like clockwork and we just all had a ball! We also appreciated the excellent communication from your side, especially the late email on Friday, which you certainly did not have to do. We certainly hope to be back next year!
Lara & Werner Theron
Wildcoast Wildrun 2012
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
"This was the most astounding experience ever. The bush, the route, the experience, just unreal."
Bryan Mulliner
Safari-on-the-Run™: Mapungubwe 2017
"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
It was a great event and I especially want to thank you guys for focussing on the event and not the racing. For me it was about the journey, the beautiful scenery and the meeting of likeminded people. It was great that the organisers also focused on that, rather than who came first! It made is so much more enjoyable! Thank you for the great organisation, it ran really smooth! It was really a pleasure to participate and Wildrunner did an excellent job. Thanks.
Liza Burmeister
Wildcoast Wildrun 2012
"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
"It was amazing! I enjoyed each moment and we saw more wildlife I thought we would see!! Also the landscapes were amazing, especially in Mapungubwe."
Marine Drouilly
Safari-on-the-Run™: Mapungubwe 2017
'Now that I’ve had a weekend to relflect I just wanted to thank you, Owen and the whole team (cleaners, tent setter-uppers, donkey-boiler heaters, drivers, checkpoint teams, National Park staff, cooks, rubbish collectors etc etc) - so much work by so many people to allow a privileged few of us to experience a really wild place.
The running went better than I had thought it would and I’m sad it’s over. I went for a long mountain hike at the weekend (amazing how bodies can recover).
Wildrunner is a fantastic outfit.'
John Bernstein
The Namibia Crossing 2019