Marathoner Russell Cook Runs 16,000 km Across 16 Countries
Raises 1.2 Billion Won for Homeless Youth and Refugee Charity Fund
For the first time in history, someone has successfully run across the African continent. The marathoner Russell Cook (27) from Worthing, southern England, is the person in the spotlight.
British marathoner Russell Cook is passing the northernmost point of the African continent, Ras Angela, on the 7th (local time). [Image source: Screenshot from Russell Cook's Instagram]
On the 7th (local time), AP News, The Guardian, and others reported that Cook, who started from Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of the African continent in South Africa, on April 22 last year, arrived at Ras Angela in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, the northernmost point of Africa, that afternoon.
Embarking on the African crossing under the slogan "Project Africa" to raise charity funds, he ran 16,000 km across 16 countries over 352 days. This is equivalent to completing a full marathon (42.195 km) 380 times, meaning he ran a full marathon every day without a single rest day and still had some distance left over.
Through his African crossing running project, Cook succeeded in raising over ?690,000 (about 1.2 billion KRW) for "Running Charity," which helps homeless youth, and "Sandblast," a charity supporting Sahrawi refugees from Western Sahara. Passing the goal point amid the enthusiastic welcome of numerous supporters waiting for him, Cook concluded his long journey with a calm remark, "I'm a bit tired."
He has long been known on social media as the "Hardest Geezer." The Guardian introduced several of his previous extraordinary challenges, including running from Istanbul, T?rkiye to London, UK, being buried alive for a week, and the fastest marathon while pulling a car.
Originally, Cook's goal was to complete the African crossing in 240 days. However, due to the long journey, various incidents caused delays. On the 64th day after departure, he encountered armed robbery in Angola, losing money, passport, and phone. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he was held by men wielding machetes (large jungle knives), and in Nigeria, he had to stop running due to severe back pain. The biggest crisis occurred on the 278th day in Algeria, where he faced visa issues. Eventually, he posted a video on social media appealing for help with the visa problem, and the Algerian embassy in the UK intervened to assist with visa issuance, resolving the issue.
Even the "man of willpower" Cook experienced pain. He said, "Since I was 17, I struggled with mental health, gambling, and drinking problems," adding, "After overcoming those issues, I have worked hard to build my life, and I hope my challenge can resonate with many." Regarding completing the crossing, Cook said, "Spending 352 days on the road without seeing my family and girlfriend for a long time was indescribably hard," but also stated, "It was the hardest but greatest honor of my life." He added, "I met amazing people who welcomed me with love and kindness in every country," and concluded, "The human spirit is a beautiful thing."
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