Leader Online Desk : It is no longer a legend that a person on Earth has run 16,000 kilometers in 352 days. English runner Russ Cook, nicknamed the Hardest Geyser, has achieved this feat. He reached the incredible goal on Sunday, April 7, braving the deserts, dense forests and many challenges of the journey in 352 days. Al Jazeera reported that Russ Cook became the first person in the world to run across the continent of Africa. (UK's 'Hardest Geezer' completes challenge to run length of Africa)
Who is Russ Cook?
Russ Cook is a sprinter from England. A few years ago, his friend asked him to participate in a half marathon. Cook, who loved running, listened to a friend's advice. He participated in half marathon. After that he never looked back. In 2019, Cook caught the attention of the whole world. His run in Asia became the talk of the town. After this, he achieved a new feat by winning 71 marathons in 66 days.
Hardest Geezer : The entire continent of Africa was turned upside down…
After this, Cook decided to run across the continent of Africa. On 22 April 2023, he started his run from Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of South Africa. He then completed his adventure run in Tunisia on 7th April, after facing the challenges of thieves, health and visa problems in various countries. He has done the feat of running an incredible 16 thousand kilometers (9 thousand miles) in 16 countries of the African continent.
UK runner Russ Cook completes a 16,000km (9,940 miles) journey across Africa in 352 days, reaching its northernmost point.https://t.co/n59YEecZDn
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) April 8, 2024
Why is Russ Cook running?
Russ Cook keeps up with his running through his YouTube channel and Instagram handle, @hardestgeezer. He says his goal is to raise funds for charities such as The Running Charity, Sandblast (helping Sahrawi refugees) and WaterAid (promoting global access to clean water). According to information on his website, he has so far earned £430,080 (approx. Rs. 4.50 crore) from his runs in various countries. It intends to raise a total of £1,000,000 (approx. Rs. 10 crores). He has raised $870,000 for two separate charities by running 16,000 kilometers in Africa.
Enduring everything, he kept running….
“I'm a bit tired,” Russ Cook said after completing his 16,000km feat in Africa. I intended to complete this journey in 240 days. The target of running 16,000 kilometers in 352 days, facing various challenges in different countries, was achieved.”
Robbed in Angola, Backache in Nigeria, Stopped by Algerian Embassy…
Cook and his team were robbed at gunpoint in Angola, Africa. This time along with the money he had, his passport, mobile phone and other essential items needed for travel were stolen. After this he had to rest for some time due to back pain in Nigeria. Still he did not back down. After this he had to stay here for some time as he did not have a visa to enter Algeria. The daily run is physically and mentally challenging, says Cook, who ran nearly 3,000 km (1,860 miles) from Istanbul to Worthing in 68 days in Africa.
A welcome from supporters in Tunisia
On Sunday, April 7, Russ Cook completed his 16,000 kilometer feat in Bizerte, Tunisia. His reply on the rocky Mediterranean plain in Tunisia was greeted with rapturous cheers by the supporters.
The experience of traveling is difficult to describe in words
“Running down the street every day for 352 days without seeing family and friends,” says Cook. It's so hard to put into words,” completing the run, which raised more than 690,000 pounds ($870,000) for charity. He has also raised money for Sandblast, an organization that helps displaced people in Western Sahara.