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

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 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 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 wanted to tell you how super impressed Andrew and I were with you all and the whole organisation and efforts that you put into this event. You are very special people and you organised a very special event and did so in the most charming and delightful way! You clearly have the knack of getting a great team together! We still cannot believe the venue and surroundings that you took us to and I so grateful that people like you make the effort to organise such events! It was the trip that exceeded all of our expectations by a million miles (or kilometres) and despite previous great holidays and trips - Andrew and I feel that this one outshone them all.'

Carol Davies

The Namibia Crossing 2019

"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

Many thanks for a truly awesome experience. It has been one of the most outstanding adventures of my life. Right up there with travels in Tibet, climbing in Karakoram, South America and Spitskop. I thought the run was very hard and unremitting, yet possible for the person with adventure in their soul.

John Brimble

Richtersveld 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® 2015

Just a note to both congratulate you on an amazing race and to say thanks. The course is unforgettable and can’t be faulted. From a trail runner’s point of view it has everything over the 3 days, and the scenery is totally breathtaking. As always with your races the organisation was faultless and the Lesotho blanket was the best ‘prize’ ever. Thank you for an unforgettable, unimaginable weekend it was a privilege to take part.

Guy Jennings

Lesotho Wildrun 2012

"I come back a changed person, all the trivialities of every day life have taken on a new meaning, I leave the Richtersveld a richer person for the experience, a richer person for the friends I made and the people I met. Thank you everyone for an epic, life changing and humbling experience."

Tracy Zunkel

RIchtersveld Wildrun® 2014

Thank you all for a wonderful Wildrun. It was my first event and I was completely blown away by your professional organization and attention to detail. You honestly thought of everything from assisting us with our grubby toes to loading our bags at the crack of dawn WITH A SMILE ON YOUR FACES!!! I loved every moment of it and came back with a renewed appreciation of the beautiful country in which we live and what fabulous people form the running community. Thank you. It was life changing for me.

Claire Gatonby

Wildcoast Wildrun® 2013

The Essence of Wildrun