Britain’s ‘Hardest Geezer’ Russ Cook has arrived in Germany for the Euros after running 352 miles to support England and predicts the Three Lions will be victorious over Serbia.
The 27-year-old only completed his mammoth run across the length of Africa just over two months ago but decided to run to every England game during the Euros and set off for Gelsenkirchen from Wembley Stadium on Tuesday.
In a video posted to X, formerly Twitter, he said: ‘Day five of running to every England game at the Euros. I’ve made it to Germany boys and girls, come on. I’ve covered a lot of ground since leaving Wembley Tuesday.
‘My legs are actually cooked. Cant lie, I feel pretty rough you know. But I reckon we’ll get one of them 2.8% beers in tomorrow I’ll be right as rain.
‘I’m going to push on because I’ve still got quite a lot of mileage to crack. But match day one tomorrow, England v Serbia, I’m backing it.
‘I’m going to put my neck on the line and say 3 – 0 England. I’m going to say Harry Kane gets involved with a goal, Jude Bellingham and I’m going to go John Stones. Come on, Three Lions on the shirt boys, we’re going to do it.’
Now that he is in Gelsenkirchen for England’s opener today, Cook will follow the squad as far as they go, always on foot, beginning with journeys to Frankfurt and then Cologne to round off the group stages.
Gareth Southgate’s squad are among the favourites for the tournament so Cook will be expecting to go even further than that over the next few weeks.
The initial run to western Germany for the match against Serbia comes in at 352 miles.
Cook, who completed a 10,000-mile journey from Cape Town to Tunisia in April, said: ‘I am buzzing to be back on the road again.
‘It’s going to be a race against the clock, but I’m determined to support Gareth and the boys.
‘If people spot me along the way please feel free to give me a wave or even run alongside me for a while.’
Shortly after the Africa trek, which saw the Worthing, West Sussex, native running for 352 days, Cook was among tens of thousands of fundraisers who ran the London Marathon.
He finished the April 21 event in just under four-and-a-half hours for The Running Charity, who he is also supporting as he returns to the tarmac less than two months on.
Cook is also being sponsored in this venture by Sports Direct and retro shirt brand Score Draw, donating his sponsorship to the charity – which supports young people who are homeless or have complex needs.
Along the way, he will be recording regular video updates to keep the public up to date with his progress through social media.