Russell Cook, a Briton from Worthing, West Sussex has made a world record by running the full length of Africa in 352 days.
The 27-year-old, Russell, nicknamed the ‘Hardest Geezer’ reportedly crossed the finishing line at 16.40 BST (18.40 Kenyan), time at Ras Angela, Tunisia. He was greeted with joyous shouts from a crowd, with many chanting “geezer” as he ran his last minute.
At the finish line, an excited Cook told his audience and those following his progress through various platforms: “Mission completed” amidst shouts and chants of “geezer, geezer, geezer” from the crowd that had gathered to capture the moment.
According to his posts and updates on social media, Cook said his run across the full length of Africa was motivated by his struggles with mental health as a result of gambling and drinking for a long time. He wanted to “make a difference,” he said.
The ultra-runner set off for his mission on February 2023 with an initial plan to run from Tunisia to South Africa, with a plan to run 360 marathons in 240 days, with no rest days in between.
However, this plan was halted by the lack of an Algerian visa – a hindrance that would later resurface even after he changed plans.
He was forced to make a last-minute switch. He set off on foot from South Africa’s most southerly point on 22 April – a journey that took him through cities, rainforests, mountains, and the Sahara Desert.
Robbed on the road
In 50 days, the marathoner ran through South Africa and Namibia, during which time he encountered his first major challenge – a robbery.
He and his team had their cameras, phones, and passports stolen in Angola on June 24.
Another scary moment was when after running more than a marathon a day began to take its toll. His deteriorating health first presented itself through minor tummy troubles in the early weeks.
“I was forced to take my first rest day after doctors found blood and protein in my urine on day 45, but it was the recurring back pain that caused me the most concern,” wrote Cook.
On day 200, the runner was forced to reduce his mileage and intensity as ordered by a doctor in Nigeria. He missed two days consecutively – day 205 and 206.
“I took a couple of days to get some scans, and luckily there were no bone damages, so I figured the only option left was to stop mincing about like a little weasel, get the strongest painkillers available, and zombie stomp road again,” he said.
When he thought he had more than enough troubles, and the finish line was beckoning, Cook’s progress would face another stumbling block – “a single piece of paper” as he puts it.
This was on day 278 when an Algerian visa would cast doubt over the entire challenge.
He was forced to halt as he waited for his fate. His accomplishments would go down in shambles if the Algerian authority denied him a visa to cross the border to Algeria from Mauritania.
A video posted on X (formerly Twitter), and watched by 11 million people, caught the attention of the owner of the site, Elon Musk, MPs Tim Loughton and Alexander Stafford as well as the Home Office.
“The increased attention on the challenge eventually paid off as the UK’s Algerian embassy announced that I would receive a courtesy visa on the spot,” said Cook.
The final stretch
After overcoming the visa setback, all that separated Cook and the finish line was crossing the heatwave of the Sahara Desert.
After days, weeks, and months, Cook raced his trainers through Tunisia’s most northerly point. His global supporters joined him for the final run to the finishing line, and to a befitting finish party performance.
He had raised more than 700,000 pounds, (Sh117m), which he said would go to charity.
“It was the most exciting and joyous day of my life, and now I can look back at my life, and have no regrets for my past, and finishing the challenge means I will finally get my hands on the one thing that I have been craving for since day one – a strawberry daiquiri,” said an enthusiast Cook, who this week completed the London Marathon, after Africa.
