HE used to claim he was the “Hardest Geezer” in the Sussex seaside town of Worthing.
Now Russ Cook has proved he is the hardest geezer in the world — by becoming the first man in history to run the entire length of Africa.
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His 9,891-mile trek from Cape Town to Tunisia, where he crossed the finish line today, spanned 352 days and was the equivalent of 377 marathons.
Russ, 27, battled injuries, food poisoning, extreme heat and cold, a kidnapping and robbery.
It took 19million steps and 20 pairs of trainers to complete the epic feat through 16 countries.
He set off from Cape Africa’s southernmost point, Cape Agulhas, where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet, on April 22, 2023, vowing not to cut his hair or beard until he crossed the finish line in Bizerte in Tunisia.
The huge red beard and ponytail he grew during the trek earned him the nickname “Africa’s Forrest Gump”, in a nod to the Tom Hanks blockbuster.
A former big boozer and gambler, Russ turned his life around at 19 after a pal challenged him to run the Brighton half marathon.
He says: “I was in a bad place and my mate knew it. I was unfit and drinking and blowing money in the bookies, so I agreed to run it.
“After that, I did the Brighton marathon. Through training, I learnt the values of running and discipline and self-belief, which empowered me, and I applied it to other things in life.”
Realising he would never win marathons, the ex-cleaner decided to set himself endurance challenges. In 2019, he ran 71 marathons through 11 countries between Asia and London, with little more than a backpack and a hammock. It took him just 66 days.
‘It’s been the toughest days of my life’
In 2020, he broke the world record for the fastest marathon while pulling a car.
He ran 26 miles along Worthing seafront with a 730kg Suzuki Alto attached to a rope around his waist in 9hr and 56min, knocking 9hr 40min off the record of 19hrs.
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Then, in 2021, Russ was buried alive for a week in a box with just 20 litres of water and a ventilation tube.
He also became the first to complete a marathon on crutches and crossed the finish line of another 26-mile race drunk because he stopped every mile to sink a beer.
Russ came up with the idea of running across Africa during Covid, in a bid to raise £1million for charities supporting refugees and rough sleepers.
Incredibly, he had raised over £700,000 earlier tonight.
He says: “People reckon I’m nuts but, if I want to do something, I will do it regardless of how outlandish it seems.
I have passed blood for six days and suffered awful food poisoning, a bad back that only painkillers could cure, had visa nightmares, dehydration and suffered exhaustion
Russ Cook
“Quitting never even came into it. Not even thought of it.
“I decided to run Africa for my personal achievement and have some mad stories to tell — and I bloody well did it.
“I did it first and that makes me so proud. This was all about how far I could push my limits. It is more than just running across a whole continent.
“When I started running, I didn’t like long distances, but I taught my body to get to the point where it could quite comfortably run all day long without much difficulty.
“Then came Africa. The blazing heat in the day and the freezing cold at night.
“Running on sand, through jungles, through sandstorms and snow storms and torrential downpours.
“I have passed blood for six days and suffered awful food poisoning, a bad back that only painkillers could cure, had visa nightmares, dehydration and suffered exhaustion.”
In November, Russ was forced to visit medics in Nigeria for scans as his back pain became “excruciating”.
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He says: “It got very bloody hard at times, but I would tell myself to stop moaning like a little weasel and get on the road and get that zombie stomp going.”
Recalling the simple things that inspired him to keep going, Russ adds: “These 352 days have been the toughest of my life, but also such an immense honour.
“I have met incredible people every single day in every single country who welcomed us.
“Seeing all the kids running out to jog with us has been wonderful.
“But, in some remote areas, being white with a big red beard and red hair, I did terrify a few kids!”
As his epic trek neared an end, Russ focused on his home comforts. He says: “My body was starting to break down. Everything hurt. My legs felt like they were about to fall off. Just a few more days, I said.
“Now it’s time to party and the daiquiris will be flowing. It will be good to get into a real crisp bed and have a long hot soak in a bath.”
During his African epic, Russ would sleep in a support vehicle driven by his pals Harry Gallimore and Stan Gaskell.
It also carried their video gear, to record the world record attempt, and was their link to his social media channels on YouTube, X and Instagram.
Russ ran an average of 30 miles a day, including 90 days through the Sahara Desert.
As it was 50C in the day, he ran at night, though it was sometimes still 25C.
My body was starting to break down. Everything hurt. My legs felt like they were about to fall off
Russ Cook
He endured snow storms in Algeria and monsoons in rainforests.
In the Congo, tribal natives wielding machetes kidnapped him on day 102 last August.
Russ — who feared they could be cannibals — had been separated from his support vehicle due to the terrain.
He stumbled into a rural settlement as he headed for their rendezvous point.
He recalls: “There was a chief there who told me I must give him money. I told him I had none.
“Pretty soon I found myself surrounded by lots of blokes with machetes, who escorted me into the bush.
“I didn’t know what they were going to do, so I emptied my bag to show I had nothing but a biscuit, and gave it to them.
“Then I ran for it, bushwhacking through jungle paths. I kept off any tracks until I was far away.
“Then, suddenly, two men pulled up on a motorbike and took me on a seven-hour ride into the jungle and I was thinking, ‘Is this it?’.
“I thought, ‘Here is the self-proclaimed Hardest Geezer being held in a Congo gulag before being ripped apart limb by limb by these people and eaten’.”
Russ was able to negotiate with his kidnappers during a two day ordeal, and his team paid a ransom.
It came weeks after Russ — who also suffered a week of food poisoning and bouts of diarrhoea — was help up by armed maniacs in Angola on day 64 last June.
I thought, ‘Here is the self-proclaimed Hardest Geezer being held in a Congo gulag before being ripped apart limb by limb by these people and eaten’
Russ Cook
He had jumped into the support van for lunch at the roadside unaware they were being watched by gunmen planning to rob them.
He posted on X: “Nothing like a gun being pointed in your face to let you know you are alive.
“It was like any other day when a couple of lads pop open the side door and demanded everything we have.
“None of us got killed or injured. We did lose a lot of our gear. Losing our passports was the big blow as it had our visas to move onwards with.
“It was a nightmare trying to get it sorted in Angola so we had to halt the challenge for two weeks and drive back to Namibia to get new passports and visas.
“That was 1,281 miles back to Windhoek to sort the paperwork and 1,281 miles back to the start.”
Russ admits the terrifying experiences were a real eye-opener.
He says: “One of the reasons I wanted to run the length of Africa is because no one has ever done it before.
“After the robbery and kidnapping, I was starting to find out why.
“But 99 per cent of the time people were so good to us, giving us food and help and donating by going to ATMs and giving us cash.”
From South Africa, Russ ran along the west coast up through Namibia, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, and Algeria, before finishing in Tunisia just under a year later.
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But a problem securing a visa to cross the border into Algeria almost scuppered his challenge on day 278.
After a four day stalemate and pleas on social media, the UK’s Algerian embassy offered courtesy visas.
For his final 29.3-mile stretch — in which he completed in 4hr 47min — Russ had invited social media followers to run with him or wait at the finishing line. Some turned up wearing fake red beards.
And he revealed he couldn’t wait to be reunited with his girlfriend.
He says: “I warned the girls and boys to get the daiquiris set up.
“Nothing was going to stop me, even if I had to crawl my way over broken glass to get to the very end.
“Not too bad for a former fat lad with booze and gambling issues.”
Paying tribute to his partner on X, he added: “My girl is an absolute diamond. Put her through the emotional wringer daily. Deserves the world and everything in it.
“Can’t wait to share a strawberry daiquiri with her on a Tunisian beach and tell her how beautiful she is.
“Would be in a mental asylum in Congo without her.”
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RUSS’S Project Africa challenge will bring a massive funding boost to two amazing causes – and it is easy for you to pledge your support.
One beneficiary, The Running Charity, works to transform the lives of young people affected by homelessness and multiple or complex needs.
The other, Sandblast, helps Sahrawi refugees. To donate, visit: givestar.io/gs/projectafrica
Mike Ridley
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