He survived being held at gunpoint by robbers, a terrifying hostage ordeal and multiple health problems – including urinating blood.
But now the self-declared ‘Hardest Geezer’ Russ Cook has finally completed his mammoth challenge of running more than 10,000 miles across the length of the African continent.
Starting in Cape Agulhas, South Africa, the 27-year-old jogging fanatic reached the first border crossing to Namibia just over two weeks later.
Crossing 16 countries as he ran the equivalent of 385 marathons, he completed his 10,100-mile run to Ras Angela, Tunisia, in 352 days – and claimed to be the first person to ever run the length of the African continent.
Russ Cook crossed 16 countries as he ran the equivalent of 385 marathons a day, and claimed to be the first person to ever run the length of the African continent
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Cook said he was attacked for £2 and held by a local village for money – confronted by a group of people holding machetes
But on Day 43, he began to urinate blood so saw a doctor. Eight days later, he crossed the second border to Angola.
By Day 60, he had completed 3,000km, (1864 miles) but four days later he says he was held at gunpoint.
Cook lost his phones, cash and passport – and afterwards had a police escort in Angola.
He was delayed by 15 days when he left Angola to get new visas and a passport.
But he again encountered trouble when on Day 102, he went missing and was separated from his supporters for days in the jungle in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
He said he was attacked for £2 and held by a local village for money – confronted by a group of people holding machetes.
His followers eventually managed to free him by paying off the villagers – and he detailed the ordeal in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Then 22 days later, he completed the Republic of Congo crossing and by Day 160 he reached the half-way point at the Cameroon border crossing.
Cook, 27, (pictured) celebrated as he completed his 10,100 miles from Cape Agulhas in South Africa to Ras Angela, Tunisia, in 352 days
British runner Russ Cook is joined by supporters on the final leg of his challenge
A man holds up a Tunisian national flag behind runner Russ Cook as the latter gestures by the memorial sign marking the northern-most point of Africa upon arrival at Cape Angela
At about 200 days in, he saw a doctor for back pain and received some scans
Cook spent Christmas Day in Guinea on Day 246 but again hit a stumbling block when he ran into visa issues in Algeria, 271 days in. He turned to social media to help get a visa
After a social media campaign, the Algerian Embassy said it would grant Cook a courtesy visa
At 200 days in, he saw a doctor for back pain and received some scans before reaching the Benin border crossing 12 days later.
Day 241 was the longest run of his marathon, covering 110km (68 miles).
Cook spent Christmas Day in Guinea on Day 246 but again hit a stumbling block when he ran into visa issues in Algeria, 271 days in.
He turned to social media to help get a visa to cross the border and at the time said his challenge could end as there was ‘no other way’ for him to reach the northern tip of Africa.
He called the British Ambassador and the foreign office issued him a warning not to travel under any circumstances.
After a huge social media campaign, the Algerian Embassy said it would grant Cook a courtesy visa so he could cross the border.
He was finally given the visa and crossing the Mauritania border on Day 286 – and reaching the Algerian border, 319 days in, before triumphantly finishing in Tunisia on Day 352.
On the final day he invited his supporters to run the last leg with him and said he would throw a party at a hotel in Bizerte to celebrate crossing the finish line
Cook celebrates with supporters after arriving to the finish line in Ras Angela yesterday
Day 241 was the longest run of his marathon, covering 110km (68 miles)
On the final day he invited his supporters to run the last leg with him and said he would throw a party at a hotel in Bizerte to celebrate crossing the finish line.
He has raised £685,000 for charity so far, with more than £250,000 donated over the last seven days as his loyal following spur him on.
Cook from Worthing, West Sussex, was embraced by loved ones and supporters as he crossed the finish line at Tunisia’s most northerly point.
He put his hands on his head in disbelief and flexed his muscles on top of a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean Sea as he was surrounded by reporters and photographers.
After he crossed the finish line wearing a bucket hat and a retro England shirt, Cook walked to the sea and cooled off by taking a dip. ‘I’m a bit tired. I’m a little bit tired,’ he admitted as he stood topless in the water.
One man joked ‘let’s get you a strawberry daiquiri’, Cook replied: ‘Yeah, let’s f*** off’.
The runner has often joked about having the frozen cocktail as a reward for his epic effort. Speaking to Sky News at the finish line, the endurance athlete said: ‘I’m pretty tired.’
Delighted fans chanted ‘Geezer, Geezer, Geezer’, with one telling reporters: ‘I just wanted to be part of it. It’s a piece of history’.
The athlete, who is a self-described former ‘fat lad’ with alcohol and gambling issues, was introduced to long distance running when he entered a half marathon aged 21.
Cook reacts after becoming the first person to run the entire length of Africa yesterday
Cook, from Worthing, spent 352 days taking on the mammoth challenge. Pictured yesterday
Cook sits in relief after arriving to the finish line in Ras Angela, in Tunis, Tunisia yesterday
He originally hoped to achieve the mega distance in 240 days, but different obstacles have delayed his finish by around 100 days.
But his claim has been thrown into question by a tiny international sporting body.
Made up of just seven members, the World Runners Association (WRA) claimed that one of its founders actually deserved the title over Cook.
The group said that Danish athlete Jesper Olsen achieved the feat in 2010, when he ran 7,949 miles from Taba in Egypt to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa in 434 days as part of an ultramarathon challenge that saw him run across the world.
Cook said that his journey, which was from Africa’s most southern to its most northern point, was 2,113 miles longer than Olsen’s was, but the group was adamant that Olsen was the first person to achieve the feat.
The WRA said that as the length of Africa ‘is calculated at 8,000km [4,971 miles] as the crow flies’, it does not matter that Cook’s distance was longer.
Source link : https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13283299/Inside-Hardest-Geezer-Russ-Cooks-10-000-mile-odyssey-South-Africa-Tunisia-352-days.html
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Publish date : 2024-04-08 07:00:00
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