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!

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.

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!

Dr Mark Middleton

Mark is Owen's big boet and you'll notice when you hear him talk that they sound exactly the same! Mark loves the outdoors and is an avid runner!

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.

Chris Chilvers

Chris, Genevieve and their team of deft hands have kept many a body going over the years. Chris has been working the Wildrun events since 2009 and now it simply isn't a WIldrun without him!

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!

Wildrun
Testimonials

What people are saying

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

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 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

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

As with all Wildrunner’s events, the organisation is slick and everything happens like clockwork – and achieving that in remote regions is often harder than running the routes themselves! Huge thumbs up to Owen, Tam and the rest of the Wildrunner team for this great Lesotho gem of an event.

Linda Doke

Lesotho 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 dont even know how to tell you in words what a phenomenal experience the Wildrun was for me. I am still in shock and think about it constantly! Your effort and gees is much appreciated and I hope to be seeing you guys a lot in the future.

Rick Kotze

Wildcoast Wildrun® 2014

I laughed enough to last me a lifetime, and met some wonderful fellow runners. Seeing so much of the ‘Wild Coast’ on foot is a privilege made all the more special by Wildrunner’s organisation, passion and desire to contribute to the welfare of local communities... I am left with memories of the crystal clear ocean, dolphins, perfect beaches, barnstorming river crossings, the infectious enthusiasm of the Wildrunner crew and wild, joyous running under a big sky with delighted fellow runners. Cold beers, great food and an awesome party at the end of it all. Thank you!

Mark Mattson

Wildcoast Wildrun® 2016 Departure 2

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

"This was the most astounding experience ever. The bush, the route, the experience, just unreal."

Bryan Mulliner

Safari-on-the-Run™: Mapungubwe 2017

The Essence of Wildrun