The Wildrun® Africa portfolio of running events offers true submersion in to some of the continent’s finest landscapes. From the beaches of Transkei to the open plains of Zimbabwe, there is nothing quite like wild exploration on foot. Due to the unique nature of these events, and their iconic African locations, there is no lack of international interest. You can meet an elephant in a big noisy 4x4, or you can stand 200m away and see, smell and fully experience these magnificent animals as they should be; untamed, unintimidated an threatened by your proximity. For many, it’s a simple decision to experience the latter.
We’ve hosted runners from across Europe and the US. We’ve had sun-weary visitors from the UK, and sun-savvy runners from Dubai. We know that the leave every Wildrun® experience with new friends, expanded knowledge and a little piece of Africa imprinted on their hearts.
We’ve hosted runners from across Europe and the US. We’ve had sun-weary visitors from the UK, and sun-savvy runners from Dubai. We know that the leave every Wildrun® experience with new friends, expanded knowledge and a little piece of Africa imprinted on their hearts. As early bird entries for 2019 are now open, and new names from around the continent put their hands up for once in a lifetime African running experiences, we think back fondly on the many visitors who have joined us over the years.
Above: Kiwi Alison Russel
Above: The Brit Roger Brooks
Local runner, Martin Stewart, ran his 10th consecutive Wildcoast Wildrun® this year, and spent much of it hosting this crew, and sharing his knowledge and passion for the pristine Transkei coastline with them.
We caught up with Robin during his extended South African visit, once the Wildcoast dust had settled.
“I heard about the event from a friend living in East London whose daughter had worked at a mission hospital near Hole-in the -wall. Having been to the Wild Coast many times as a boy on fishing holidays and having hiked that coast while studying at UCT, I was keen to enter.
Watching the online video confirmed my interest. I was able to convince two friends with whom I run both socially and in a club in New Plymouth, New Zealand to come along. Cheryl Leuthart talked her sister, Karen, into coming and Murray Hodson convinced Alison Russell to come along.
None of us had entered multi-day events before apart from Alison. Having raced a marathon in May, I was fit but I upped my mileage from 70k per week to 85k, dropped speed work and tried to run for 3 days in a row with the shortest run being 15k and the longest about 28k. I also threw in some mountain hiking and more trail running.
We were all impressed with how well the event was organised. The camaraderie that soon developed with other runners was special. The food was outstanding. Drinking beer on the veranda of a wild Coast hotel while watching whales and dolphin and feeling pleasantly relaxed from the leg massage was pretty unique. Cheryl, Murray and I had decided to run together rather than race. We made our best call by joining Martin's group and sticking to him like the proverbial. Angelo joined us, and we ran the whole 112k together not having to worry about which route to take. The scenery was amazing. We mainly stuck to the advice about not talking rugby!
The final leg of day 3 was spectacular and the view down to the finish at Hole-in -the Wall was unforgettable. Truly a trail run that lived up to very high expectations. Now some of us are talking about the 9 day event in Rwanda in February 2020. Bring it on!”
Indeed, Africa has many hidden gems and unrivalled beauty. It is an honour to demonstrate this natural wealth to our visiting runners, and we hope to continue to welcome eager explorers from around the world to experience our heritage. www.wildrun.com
