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’s been about 36 hours since I finished the Lesotho Wildrun and I am ready to go again. Thank you so much for that incredible event. It was an amazing experience which I absolutely loved. Meeting all those incredible people and seeing those beautiful trails, really were awesome. Your team were fantastic. Especially Robbie, he always put a smile on my face when I saw him out on the trails. Thanks again, hope to see you guys soon.

Andrew Lowndes

Lesotho Wildrun 2012

"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

'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

'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

I have done lots of events, but I am happy to say that this was……..the best. It is tough, but the combination of the scenery, hotel accommodation, the relatively small field and your team (really nice people, especially having Owen’s mom there) made it superb. Good kit too.

Allan Lawrie

Wildcoast Wildrun® 2012

Thank you for welcoming us on this outrageously incredible inaugural event. It was truly a privilege to get to know all of you better, to share the good and the better on the trails and to be part of what will become a legendary event. Owen, Chris, Olivier, Jado & team - wow! Maxine, Jen, Karoline, Filippo & Gavin - you are fierce! Very sad to leave - will be cheering you on from CT! XO

India & Peter Baird

Rwanda Wildrun® 2019

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 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

The unique camaraderie of people experiencing such a special part of the country together…epic memories.

Ron Rutland

Wildcoast Wildrun 2011

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

The Essence of Wildrun