A British man who has been running the length of Africa in a mammoth challenge which has seen him cross 16 countries and survive a gunpoint robbery and a kidnapping has crossed the finish line in Tunisia.
Russ Cook, an extreme marathon runner who calls himself ‘Hardest Geezer’ on social media, has covered around 10,000 miles from South Africa to Tunisia across 352 days, completing the equivalent of 386 marathons.
The 27-year-old, from Worthing, West Sussex, crossed the border into Tunisia on Thursday night and finally reached the finish line in Ras Angela, the country’s most northerly point, at 4.40pm this afternoon.
As he was embraced by loved ones and supporters, he put his hands on his head in disbelief before saluting and flexing his muscles on top of a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.
He then walked down 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. As 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’.
Russ Cook beams as he crosses the finish line after becoming the first person to run the entire length of Africa
Russ Cook salutes to his supporters and fans after completing a mammoth run across Africa
Cook has become the first person to run the entire length of Africa after completing the mammoth challenge this afternoon
Cook embraces his supporters at the finish liner after he completed 385 marathons over a year
This is the moment that fans joined Russ Cook in crossing the finish line in Tunisia
Cook appears emotional as he surrounded by photographers and supporters at the finish line
Russ Cook is met by supporters as he nears the finish line in Tunisia
He is pictured making his way to Ras Angela in Tunisia as he attempts to become the first person to run the length of Africa
His supporters have dressed up in fake ginger beards as they wait for him to pass by
Cook describes himself as ‘Worthing’s Hardest Geezer’ and has battled through many challenges
Cook had set off for the last 25 miles wearing a retro England football shirt and a bucket hat this morning. He was joined by loyal fans, with some even dressing up as him by wearing fake ginger beards.
After starting today’s last run from a petrol station in Ghezala, Tunisia, at 10am, he told Sky News: ‘One more day, one final push to get this thing done.’
He said he had a ‘few tears’ this morning, adding: ‘352 days on the road is a long time without seeing family, my girlfriend. My body is in a lot of pain but I’ve only got one day, I’m not about to complain. We’re going to have strawberry daiquiris on the beach tonight, it’s going to be unreal.’
Cook 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, who began his remarkable journey at Cape Agulhas, South Africa, in April 2023, says he has become the first person to ever run the full length of Africa.
But not only has the journey been a testament of mental and physical strength, Cook has also been robbed at gunpoint, held hostage and almost forced to stop the challenge after he was left visaless at the Mauritanian border.
Originally he had hoped to achieve the mega distance in 240 days, but different obstacles have delayed his finish by around 100 days.
When he was travelling through Angola at around 1800miles into his run, he was set upon by armed thugs.
Cook claimed his support van was raided by ‘desperate blokes with guns’ and that the armed men stole his team’s cameras, mobile phones and some passports, as well as wads of cash.
He added that nobody on his crew was hurt in the armed hold-up.
Then in August he was ‘kidnapped’ by a gang of men armed with machetes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
He documented the ordeal on social media: ‘In an attempt to find the boys at a village on the plan B route, I stumbled into a rural settlement where the chief told me I must give him money. I had none,’ the runner wrote on day 107.
He added: ‘So that went down well. Pretty soon I found myself surrounded by lots of game blokes with machetes. Was escorted out the village into the bush.
‘Emptied my bag to show I had nothing but a half eaten biscuit. Gave it to them, and ran. Spent the next few hours bushwhacking through overgrown jungle paths. Trying to stay off any tracks until I was far away.
Russ Cook, 27 from Worthing, West Sussex dubbed ‘Worthing’s Hardest Geezer’ started the challenge 351 days ago
He is hoping to cross the finish line later today, where he will be joined by supporters for the home straight
Originally he had hoped to achieve the mega distance in 240 days, but different obstacles have delayed his finish by around 100 days
Cook claimed his support van was raided by ‘desperate blokes with guns’ and that the armed men stole his team’s cameras, mobile phones and some passports
Then in August he was ‘kidnapped’ by a gang of men armed with machetes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Russ Cook is pictured after enduring the ordeal of being robbed at gunpoint by thugs during his extraordinary run
‘Made it to the village on the plan B route to find the road was also impassable for the support van again. Exhausted and dehydrated, I started heading back to the last known place with passable roads when two blokes pulled up on a bike.
‘They spoke no English but tried to communicate I must come with them to get back to my friends.
‘What happened next was a seven-hour motorbike ride deeper into the jungle. In my head I thought this was it. Me. The self proclaimed hardest geezer. About to get held in a Congo gulag before being ripped apart limb by limb and eaten.’
Fortunately, Cook was driven into a village and moved into a hut where he recalled a group of men clashing over what to do with him and discussing how much money he owed them.
After some back and forth negotiations, he was able to contact his team who spent the next few days formulating a rescue plan.
Cook ultimately managed to escape, and despite most people’s expectation that he would catch the first flight home, he instead returned back to his start point that day and ran another 60km on a new route.
Alongside this he has faced multiple illnesses, including blood in his urine and crippling back pain.
Then in January his whole mission was nearly scuppered after he failed to get a visa to allow him to enter Algeria.
Cook is seen crossing the finishing line in Africa for his record-breaking run
He is fundraising for The Running Charity, which supports the mental health of young people with complex needs or who are homeless, and Sandblast which educates people about Sahrawi culture
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
In a video posted to social media, Cook said the success of his challenge was now dependent on Algerian authorities granting him permission to enter.
‘Right girls and boys, we have a bit of a problem. We haven’t been able to get visas for Algeria, and if we don’t get them, then it’s game over for project Africa,’ he said.
‘I’ve been running now for 278 days, covered nearly 12,000km (7,456 miles) through 13 countries and raised over £140k for charity in my attempt to become the first person ever to run the entire length of Africa
‘But right now all of that is totally hanging on whether we can get permission from Algeria to let us cross in through this border with Mauritania,’ he said.
‘This is the only option we have left so, Algeria, if you’re listening, please reach out to me. Anything you need from us please let me know,’ he added, addressing Algerian authorities. ‘It would be an absolute privilege to visit your beautiful country.
‘To everyone following the journey online please help us out by sharing this and helping us get this seen by the appropriate people in Algeria.’
Tim Loughton, Conservative MP for East Worthing, said he had been sent Cook’s video, and offered to help by contacting the Foreign Office.
‘Russ-have been sent this and I gather that you are from East Worthing,’ he said.
‘Can you email me some details and we will do what we can to help through the Foreign Office and Algerian Embassy.’
His social campaign worked and the Algerian Embassy said it would grant him a courtesy visa ‘on the spot’, meaning he could cross the border.
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.
Since then he has gained a reputation for attempting trials of strength and endurance – he ran 71 marathons in 66 days from Asia to London in 2019, pulled a Suzuki Alto 26 miles along the south coast and was buried alive for a week in 2021.
He is fundraising for The Running Charity, which supports the mental health of young people with complex needs or who are homeless, and Sandblast which educates people about Sahrawi culture.
You can donate to his cause here.