Children running on a forest trail surrounded by lush green vegetation and trees.

The Wilderness Runs

Running for the rainforest!

Wilderness Run – What is it?

The Wilderness Run is a classic charity run. It offers pupils the chance to get active and make a difference: by helping to protect the world’s most biodiverse rainforests and promoting a healthy climate!

Would you like your school to take part? Send us a message!

Get in touch with us
Three runners jogging together in motion. Green line illustration with leaves suggesting movement.

Our success to date

Over 90

Schools

took part in the Wilderness Runs between 2009 and 2025.

43,000

Pupils

took part in our talks and runs.

1.3 million

m2 rainforest

Thanks to the funds raised, we were able to provide them with permanent protection.

As participating pupils, you’ll need to find one or more sponsors before the run. These can be either individuals or companies. Together, you’ll agree on an amount to be donated for every lap you complete. On the day of the run, you’ll run as many laps as possible within a set time. Your sponsors will then donate the money raised to us, Wilderness International. This is how we work together to protect precious rainforest.
From a global perspective, primary forests are our most important buffer against human-induced climate change. Protecting them is a top priority if we are to save the climate.
Kai Andersch Forestry scientist & Chairman of the Board

Protect the rainforest now

In Peru, they still exist: huge primeval forest trees, vine-draped jungle giants, dazzling parrots, mysterious jaguars and playful monkeys in the tropical Amazon rainforest. The rainforests in and around the Madre de Dios region are not only considered to be the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world, but are also essential for global climate protection: they sequester huge amounts of CO2 in their biomass. By joining forces in the Wilderness Run, we can protect them!
Join in now
Rainforest collage featuring diverse Amazon wildlife: snake, monkey, macaws, hummingbird, butterflies, dragonfly, bird, and jungle vegetation.

  1. Registration

    Once we have received written confirmation of your registration from your teachers, we will send you a link to our fundraising platform, Fundoo. Participating pupils can use this project link to create a profile and add sponsors.

    Anyone can take part – whether you’re at a primary school, comprehensive school, secondary school or grammar school, and wherever you are in Germany, Austria or Switzerland.

    For teachers: Please email us for full details on how to register. You should allow at least two months’ lead time.

  2. Preparation and organisation

    Choose a date and a suitable venue for the run, and let the participating classes know. We’ll send you precise instructions with all the details for all other tasks.

  3. Lectures

    We explain how the Wilderness Run works and why, and what we’re all working towards together: the protection of valuable ecosystems.

  4. Looking for sponsors

    As participating pupils, you will now set about finding people who will support you with a donation for every lap you run. You can record your sponsors and donation amounts online on Fundoo. You can either enter the details yourselves or send out an invitation link.

  5. Running for the wilderness

    After the welcome and warm-up, you’ll have an hour to run as many laps as possible. Allow around 2 hours in total, plus travel time to and from the venue.

  6. Collecting donations

    Now let your teachers know how many laps you’ve run. Your teachers will pass this information on to us, and we’ll let your sponsors know. They now have a few weeks to transfer their donation to us via Fundoo. You may need to remind them again if necessary.

  7. Analysis

    All participants will receive a certificate for their protected forest, and the most committed runners will even receive prizes. Sponsors will receive a donation receipt.

Downloads

FAQs

  • What is the Wilderness Run and how does it work?

    The Wilderness Run is a charity run for all types of schools in the DACH region. Participating pupils have one hour to run as many laps as possible at a suitable location chosen by their school. In the run-up to the event, they independently seek out sponsors who will donate a pre-agreed amount to Wilderness International for every lap completed. With the donations from their sponsors, the pupils help to protect a specific area of rainforest in Peru in a tangible and long-term way. More information is available here.

  • How is the organisation and running of the Wilderness Run funded?

    The participating schools are responsible for organising and running the wilderness runs themselves, although we provide clear guidelines and are always on hand to help with any questions or problems. We arrange talks as part of our foundation’s mission to promote environmental education. We use the Fundoo platform for administrative processing, so that the school does not have to deal with registering sponsors, bank transfers or issuing donation receipts itself. Prizes for particularly successful pupils and school classes are provided to us free of charge by our partners.

  • For teachers – What happens on the day of the Wilderness Run?

    All participants should arrive at the venue no later than 30 minutes before the start of the run. There will be time for a welcome and a group warm-up 15 minutes before the run. The wilderness run itself lasts one hour. If a large number of classes or year groups are taking part, it may be a good idea to stagger the run and organise several one-hour slots. In total, at least two hours should be set aside for the wilderness run. Travel time to and from the venue should also be taken into account.

  • For teachers – How do I register my pupils for the Wilderness Run?

    Simply send us an email and let us know which classes will be taking part. We’ll set up your school on our fundraising platform, Fundoo, and send you a registration link for all participants.  This will allow the pupils to register as part of their class team and set up a profile. They can then start raising funds from sponsors. We’ll also provide you with a guide and communication materials to help you organise the run. We’re always happy to answer any questions or share experiences!

  • For pupils – How does the process of finding sponsors work?

    Your teachers will send you a link to our online fundraising platform, Fundoo. Use this link to register for your class team and set up your personal profile. There, you can recruit sponsors by either adding them yourself or sending them an invitation. That’s all there is to it – we’ll then take care of processing the donation and issuing the donation receipt. 

    Anyone can be a sponsor – your parents, the bakery next door, doctors, music teachers, coaches from your sports club or large companies... Tell them what you learnt at the talk about the rainforest and why you want to get involved. Finding sponsors can be a bit of a struggle, as you won’t be successful with everyone. But don’t let that put you off – every euro counts!

Past Wilderness Runs


Large group of children and youth running on a red track surrounded by trees with dust clouds rising.

Wilderness Runs, June 2018

Next week, it’s finally that time again: our wilderness running series is kicking off. It starts on Monday 25 June in Dresden, followed by Mittweida, and on Wednesday we’ll round it all off in Leipzig. We’re looking forward to three fantastic days with thousands of dedicated runners who are running to protect the last remaining er
Large group of children and adults running together on a red track during a community athletic event.

Wilderness Runs in March – Thank you for your commitment!

The first wilderness run of the 2017 wilderness conservation season took place this week. Spread over two days, around 550 pupils from four schools in Dresden and Pirna ran in support of environmental protection. We would like to thank you for your commitment and the effort you put into finding sponsors
Large group of children running together on a red athletic track during an outdoor sports event.

Successful wilderness runs in 2016

Dear wilderness runners, dear sponsors, with the final debriefing events for the 2016 wilderness runs now behind us and the first runs of this year coming up at the end of March, let’s take a moment to look back on the past year and reflect on what we have achieved together with

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