After more than 16,000km over 352 days across 16 countries, Russ Cook, aka the “Hardest Geezer”, has completed the mammoth challenge of running the length of Africa.
The 27-year-old endurance athlete from Worthing, West Sussex, crossed the finish line in Tunisia on Sunday afternoon, and planned to celebrate with a party – as well as a strawberry daiquiri – having raised more than £600,000 for charity.
His achievement, believed to be the first person to run tip to tip from southern to northern Africa, was the more extraordinary given several setbacks including a robbery at gunpoint in Angola, being held by men with machetes in Republic of the Congo, health scares and visa complications.
On 22 April 2023 he set off from South Africa’s most southerly point, Cape Agulhas. By the time he crossed the line at Tunisia’s most northerly point, Ras Angela, he had run the distance of about 376 marathons.
During Cook’s feat he ran through rainforests, across mountain ranges and traversed the Sahara. On day 200, he reduced his daily mileage on doctors’ advice in Nigeria. Visa problems getting into Algeria were overcome after his appeal video on X was seen by 11 million people and the Algerian embassy in the UK announced he would be given a courtesy visa.
Money raised will go to the Running Charity, which provides running and mental health programmes to young people experiencing homelessness and complex needs, and Sandblast, which promotes awareness of the Saharawi people.
According to the theguardian
