British runner Russ Cook has completed his quest to run the length of Africa for charity. What started as a personal challenge has seen him set a record (first person to run the length of Africa) and raise huge sums for charity.
Run Took 352 Days
Despite several health issues, visa issues, being held up and robbed in Angola, and the intense conditions across the huge land mass, Russ managed to complete his record-breaking feat in just 352 days.
Challenge Started As a Personal Quest to Make a Difference
On his social media, Russ said he had struggled with his mental health, gambling and drinking, and wanted to “make a difference”.
16 Countries, Countless Experiences
His route saw him cover 16,294KM across 16 different countries, all on foot. He has battled extreme heat, difficult terrain (including cities, mountains, rainforest and the Sahara desert) and political issues in order to complete his challenge.
Two Countries Down… Then Disaster
After running for 50 days, ticking off South Africa and Namibia, he and his support team had their cameras, phones, cash, passports and visas stolen in an armed robbery in Angola on 24 June.
Huge Physical Demands on His Body Harmed His Physical Health
Stomach issues, blood in his urine and ongoing back issues plagued some of his early days, as the demands of daily running took their toll on his body.
Plagued With a Back Issue
When he was in Nigeria, recurring back pain caused Cook and his team some worry. Sensibly, they stopped for scans and to seek the opinion of a doctor.
Doctors Urged Him to Rest
Listening to medical advice, Russ agreed to reduce his mileage and intensity on day 200. He even missed consecutive days on day 205 and 206, which would have pleased the Nigerian doctor who advised him.
Not Stopping For Long!
He said: “I took a couple of days to get some scans. No bone damage so figured the only option left was to stop mincing about like a little weasel, get the strongest painkillers available and zombie stomp road again.”
Visa Caused Him More Problems
Having battled the terrain, his health, and overcoming the setback of an armed robbery, the next hurdle was a political one. There was a delay issuing him his Algerian visa – vital to complete the route.
Social Media to the Rescue
He took to his social media to issue a plea. It was seen by millions, including Elon Musk and MPs in the home office. The appeal worked and the Algerian embassy announced he would receive a courtesy visa, granting him access to the country.
Africa – No Easy Place to Run
In the latter stages of his run, he had to cross the Sahara desert. To avoid the intense heat, he ran through the night. He also had to increase his mileage to make up for the lost time earlier in the challenge.
Target Date Set
Part of his reason for increasing his mileage was because he had a set finish time – April the 7th. Having come so far, and displayed such physical and mental grit, he wouldn’t let himself down!
Incredible Daily Mileage
He was posting regular mileage updates to his social media accounts, and regularly surpassed the 70km (43 miles) mark.
Challenge Gained Momentum and Attention
As the miles increased, so did the social media attention. All along this was a charity event, and the donations increased in size, speed and frequency.
Donations Came Flooding In
On the 29th of March, the money he raised surpassed the £350,000 mark. At the time of writing (Monday), they’ve now exceeded £766,000.
Cook Now High Profile
Having completed his quest, he has gained millions of social media followers and high profile sponsors. He’s just days away from hitting the £1 million mark for monies raised.
You Can Relive His Journey on YouTube
His entire adventure has been recorded and uploaded to his YouTube channel. You can see how he managed to achieve such an incredible feat. He documents the ups and downs of the entire challenge.
19.1 Million Steps, and Even More Memories
Russ Cook set a world record. He became the first person in history to run the length of Africa. He did it without a professional athlete background – just incredible levels of dedication.
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The post ‘Hardest Geezer’ Runs ENTIRE LENGTH of Africa For Charity first appeared on Edge Media.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Maridav. Disclaimer: Some photos used are representative and not the actual people featured in the story.