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
I just want to congratulate you on organising a superb event. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the whole experience! It was just awesome! Lesotho is so beautiful and the places we stayed were really great. The food, atmosphere, everything…. unforgettable! Hopefully I will be able to get into the Wildcoast Wildrun either this year (if the waiting list diminishes!) or next year and I am seriously considering doing the Lesotho Wildrun again with my boyfriend next year….just need to work on my navigation skills! Good luck with all your events this year and I really hope to see you in the near future for another amazing event.
Debbie Sessions
Lesotho Wildrun 2011
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
"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
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
Thanks again to the entire team for a fantastic and memorable event
Daniel Schuurman
Safari-on-the-Run™: Mapungubwe 2017
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
"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
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 huge privilege and a dream come true for me to have been able to participate in the 2014 Wildcoast Wildrun. I'm still trying to find appropriate words to be able to place the experience in perspective. I guess that I'll just have to return in 2015 to try and find those words somewhere along the magnificent 112 km coastline. Thank you to you and your fantastic team: you were so in touch with all our needs, fears, dreams and joys."
Hein Venter
Wildcoast Wildrun® 2014
"I really just wanted to send both of you a huge Thank You to you and your team. Last week was truly a remarkable experience that I am battling to describe to anyone who asks – closest word is EPIC and that doesn’t do it enough justice. It is 5 days that shifts every person that attends. Your professional team, service and approach to every detail certainly made it that very special. So big up to you both – big thanks to your whole team and look forward to seeing you at many future events."
Kevin Klaff
The Namibia Crossing 2022