Russell Cook, the man nicknamed “Hardest Geezer”, has successfully run the full length of Africa, crossing the finish line in Tunisia after 352 days.
The 27 Year old Briton, Russ Cook started in South Africa running the equivalent of 385 marathons in 352 days. He started in South Africa in April 2023 he took over 19 million steps across 16 countries to reach the finish line in tunisia. Cooks effort has raised over 550,000 to £700,000 for charity.
He believes he is the first person ever to run the entire length of the continent.
Russ Cook finished his mammoth odyssey in Tunisia having set off from South Africa’s most southerly point on April 22 last year, overcoming health scares, visa troubles and even an armed robbery.
Before he set off on the mammoth challenge to run the entire length of Africa, he said he hoped to look back at his life and have no regrets.
The 27-year-old from Worthing, West Sussex, said he had struggled with his mental health, gambling and drinking, and wanted to “make a difference”.
As he crossed the finish line at about 16:40 BST in Ras Angela, Tunisia, Mr Cook was greeted by a shouting crowd, with many chanting “geezer”.
“I’m pretty tired,” he told reporters and in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Mr Cook told those who had been following his journey to the finish line: “Mission completed.”
