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Ladybbird · 07-04-24, 10:02

'Hardest Geezer' ..RUSS COOK -Mugged at Gunpoint, Kidnapped by Machete-Wielding THUGS and Getting Lost in The Jungle:

How a Brit has battled through series of near-death experiences to run the entire length of Africa-16 African Countries - For Charity

From a terrifying robbery at gunpoint to being kidnapped by machete-wielding thugs in the jungle, Russ Cooks' mission to become the first person to run the entire length of Africa has by no means been a walk in the park.

MailOnline 7 APR 2024

The extreme marathon runner - and proclaimed 'Hardest Geezer' - has also found urine in his blood, battled with multiple illnesses and endured crippling back pain while navigating 9,000 miles from the tip of South Africa to the northern coast of Tunisia on foot.

So far his efforts have raised £568,000 for charity, with a massive £217,000 of that having been donated over the last seven days as his loyal following spur him on to the finish line.

But not only has the journey been a testament of mental and physical strength, Mr Cook has also been robbed at gunpoint, held hostage and almost forced to stop the challenge after he was left visaless at the Mauritanian border.

His route has taken him from Cape Agulhas in South Africa, up through Central Africa, West Africa to skirt around the Sahara Desert and finally into North Africa to end in Tunisia.

Originally he had hoped to achieve the mega distance in 240 days, but different obstacles have delayed his finish by around 100 days.

When he was travelling through Angola at around 1800miles into his run, he was set upon by armed thugs.

Cook claimed his support van was raided by 'desperate blokes with guns' and that the armed men stole his team's cameras, mobile phones and some passports, as well as wads of cash.

He added that nobody on his crew was hurt in the armed hold-up.

Then in August he was 'kidnapped' by a gang of men armed with machetes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 'In an attempt to find the boys at a village on the plan B route, I stumbled into a rural settlement where the chief told me I must give him money. I had none,' the runner wrote on day 107.

He added: 'So that went down well. Pretty soon I found myself surrounded by lots of game blokes with machetes. Was escorted out the village into the bush.

'Emptied my bag to show I had nothing but a half eaten biscuit. Gave it to them, and ran. Spent the next few hours bushwhacking through overgrown jungle paths. Trying to stay off any tracks until I was far away.

'Made it to the village on the plan B route to find the road was also impassable for the support van again. Exhausted and dehydrated, I started heading back to the last known place with passable roads when two blokes pulled up on a bike.

'They spoke no English but tried to communicate I must come with them to get back to my friends.

'What happened next was a seven-hour motorbike ride deeper into the jungle. In my head I thought this was it. Me. The self proclaimed hardest geezer. About to get held in a Congo gulag before being ripped apart limb by limb and eaten.'

Fortunately, Mr Cook was driven into a village and moved into a hut where he recalled a group of men clashing over what to do with him and discussing how much money he owed them.

After some back and forth negotiations, he was able to contact his team who spent the next few days formulating a rescue plan. Mr Cook ultimately managed to escape, and despite most people's expectation that he would catch the first flight home, he instead returned back to his start point that day and ran another 60km on a new route.

Alongside this he has faced multiple illnesses, including blood in his urine and crippling back pain.

Then in January his whole mission was nearly scuppered after he failed to get a visa to allow him to enter Algeria.

I've been running now for 278 days, covered nearly 12,000km (7,456 miles) through 13 countries and raised over £140k for charity in my attempt to become the first person ever to run the entire length of Africa

'But right now all of that is totally hanging on whether we can get permission from Algeria to let us cross in through this border with Mauritania,' he said.

Tim Loughton, Conservative MP for East Worthing, said he had been sent Mr Cook's video, and offered to help by contacting the Foreign Office...

'Russ-have been sent this and I gather that you are from East Worthing,' he said.

'Can you email me some details and we will do what we can to help through the Foreign Office and Algerian Embassy.'

His social campaign worked and the Algerian Embassy said it would grant him a courtesy visa 'on the spot', meaning he could cross the border...

The athlete, who is a self-described former 'fat lad' with alcohol and gambling issues, was introduced to long distance running when he entered a half marathon aged 21.

Since then he has gained a reputation for attempting trials of strength and endurance - he ran 71 marathons in 66 days from Asia to London in 2019, pulled a Suzuki Alto 26 miles along the south coast and was buried alive for a week in 2021.

He is fundraising for The Running Charity, which supports the mental health of young people with complex needs or who are homeless, and Sandblast which educates people about Sahrawi culture.

Russ, 26, dubbed 'Worthings' Hardest Geezer' is set to finish his run across the entire length of Africa - having survived getting robbed at gunpoint and held hostage by machete-wielding villagers on his 9,500-mile odyssey

Russ Cook, 26 from Worthing, West Sussex is expected to cross the finish line in Ras Angela, Tunisia on Sunday ---So far his efforts have raised £568k for charity, with £217k raised this week alone

I Started Running The Length of Africa

Forced to STOP Running by a Snowstorm in the Deserts of Algeria

I Ran Across The Entire Sahara Desert

Hardest Geezer Russ Cook Set to Finish Running Length of Africa After Robbery Ordeal

I RAN Across 15 African Countries... This is The LAST One

Ladybbird · 07-04-24, 23:39

`Hardest Geezer´ Finishes Mammoth Challenge to Run Length of Africa - He Said He is Feeling “Pretty Tired”

'Hardest Geezer' Russ Cook finishes gruelling challenge to run length of Africa

MailOnline 8 APR 2024

A man from West Sussex has said he is feeling “pretty tired” after completing his gruelling challenge to run the length of Africa by crossing the finish line in Tunisia.

Russ Cook, from Worthing, spent 352 days taking on the mammoth challenge which has seen him cover more than 16,000km, take over 19 million steps and pass through 16 countries while raising money for charity.

Mr Cook, nicknamed Hardest Geezer, arrived in Ras Angela, Tunisia’s most northerly point, at around 4.40pm on Sunday and was greeted with shouts and cheers from those who had flown out to meet him.

Speaking to Sky News at the finish line, the 27-year-old endurance athlete said: “I’m pretty tired.”

He set off from South Africa’s most southerly point on April 22 2023, facing visa complications, health scares and an armed robbery, and believes he is the first person to run the full length of Africa.

For the final day of his challenge, Mr Cook invited his supporters to take on the last marathon with him, with many flying out to Tunisia from the UK and beyond to run alongside him.

To celebrate his mammoth feat, Mr Cook will be throwing a finish line party at a hotel in Bizerte, Tunisia, featuring a performance from the British punk rock duo Soft Play, formerly known as Slaves.

07-04-24, 10:02	#1
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 50,517 Thanks: 28,767 Thanked 14,428 Times in 10,234 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	`Hardest Geezer´ FINISHES Mammoth Challenge to Run Africa-Feeling “Pretty Tired” 'Hardest Geezer' ..RUSS COOK -Mugged at Gunpoint, Kidnapped by Machete-Wielding THUGS and Getting Lost in The Jungle: How a Brit has battled through series of near-death experiences to run the entire length of Africa-16 African Countries - For Charity From a terrifying robbery at gunpoint to being kidnapped by machete-wielding thugs in the jungle, Russ Cooks' mission to become the first person to run the entire length of Africa has by no means been a walk in the park. MailOnline 7 APR 2024 The extreme marathon runner - and proclaimed 'Hardest Geezer' - has also found urine in his blood, battled with multiple illnesses and endured crippling back pain while navigating 9,000 miles from the tip of South Africa to the northern coast of Tunisia on foot. So far his efforts have raised £568,000 for charity, with a massive £217,000 of that having been donated over the last seven days as his loyal following spur him on to the finish line. But not only has the journey been a testament of mental and physical strength, Mr Cook has also been robbed at gunpoint, held hostage and almost forced to stop the challenge after he was left visaless at the Mauritanian border. His route has taken him from Cape Agulhas in South Africa, up through Central Africa, West Africa to skirt around the Sahara Desert and finally into North Africa to end in Tunisia. Originally he had hoped to achieve the mega distance in 240 days, but different obstacles have delayed his finish by around 100 days. When he was travelling through Angola at around 1800miles into his run, he was set upon by armed thugs. Cook claimed his support van was raided by 'desperate blokes with guns' and that the armed men stole his team's cameras, mobile phones and some passports, as well as wads of cash. He added that nobody on his crew was hurt in the armed hold-up. Then in August he was 'kidnapped' by a gang of men armed with machetes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 'In an attempt to find the boys at a village on the plan B route, I stumbled into a rural settlement where the chief told me I must give him money. I had none,' the runner wrote on day 107. He added: 'So that went down well. Pretty soon I found myself surrounded by lots of game blokes with machetes. Was escorted out the village into the bush. 'Emptied my bag to show I had nothing but a half eaten biscuit. Gave it to them, and ran. Spent the next few hours bushwhacking through overgrown jungle paths. Trying to stay off any tracks until I was far away. 'Made it to the village on the plan B route to find the road was also impassable for the support van again. Exhausted and dehydrated, I started heading back to the last known place with passable roads when two blokes pulled up on a bike. 'They spoke no English but tried to communicate I must come with them to get back to my friends. 'What happened next was a seven-hour motorbike ride deeper into the jungle. In my head I thought this was it. Me. The self proclaimed hardest geezer. About to get held in a Congo gulag before being ripped apart limb by limb and eaten.' Fortunately, Mr Cook was driven into a village and moved into a hut where he recalled a group of men clashing over what to do with him and discussing how much money he owed them. After some back and forth negotiations, he was able to contact his team who spent the next few days formulating a rescue plan. Mr Cook ultimately managed to escape, and despite most people's expectation that he would catch the first flight home, he instead returned back to his start point that day and ran another 60km on a new route. Alongside this he has faced multiple illnesses, including blood in his urine and crippling back pain. Then in January his whole mission was nearly scuppered after he failed to get a visa to allow him to enter Algeria. I've been running now for 278 days, covered nearly 12,000km (7,456 miles) through 13 countries and raised over £140k for charity in my attempt to become the first person ever to run the entire length of Africa 'But right now all of that is totally hanging on whether we can get permission from Algeria to let us cross in through this border with Mauritania,' he said. *Tim Loughton, Conservative MP for East Worthing, said he had been sent Mr Cook's video, and offered to help by contacting the Foreign Office...* 'Russ-have been sent this and I gather that you are from East Worthing,' he said. 'Can you email me some details and we will do what we can to help through the Foreign Office and Algerian Embassy.' His social campaign worked and the Algerian Embassy said it would grant him a courtesy visa 'on the spot', meaning he could cross the border... The athlete, who is a self-described former 'fat lad' with alcohol and gambling issues, was introduced to long distance running when he entered a half marathon aged 21. Since then he has gained a reputation for attempting trials of strength and endurance - he ran 71 marathons in 66 days from Asia to London in 2019, pulled a Suzuki Alto 26 miles along the south coast and was buried alive for a week in 2021. He is fundraising for The Running Charity, which supports the mental health of young people with complex needs or who are homeless, and Sandblast which educates people about Sahrawi culture. Russ, 26, dubbed 'Worthings' Hardest Geezer' is set to finish his run across the entire length of Africa - having survived getting robbed at gunpoint and held hostage by machete-wielding villagers on his 9,500-mile odyssey Russ Cook, 26 from Worthing, West Sussex is expected to cross the finish line in Ras Angela, Tunisia on Sunday ---So far his efforts have raised £568k for charity, with £217k raised this week alone I Started Running The Length of Africa Forced to STOP Running by a Snowstorm in the Deserts of Algeria I Ran Across The Entire Sahara Desert Hardest Geezer Russ Cook Set to Finish Running Length of Africa After Robbery Ordeal I RAN Across 15 African Countries... This is The LAST One

07-04-24, 23:39	#2
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 50,517 Thanks: 28,767 Thanked 14,428 Times in 10,234 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	Re: `Hardest Geezer´ FINISHES Mammoth Challenge to Run Africa-Feeling “Pretty Tired” `Hardest Geezer´ Finishes Mammoth Challenge to Run Length of Africa - He Said He is Feeling “Pretty Tired” 'Hardest Geezer' Russ Cook finishes gruelling challenge to run length of Africa MailOnline 8 APR 2024 A man from West Sussex has said he is feeling “pretty tired” after completing his gruelling challenge to run the length of Africa by crossing the finish line in Tunisia. Russ Cook, from Worthing, spent 352 days taking on the mammoth challenge which has seen him cover more than 16,000km, take over 19 million steps and pass through 16 countries while raising money for charity. Mr Cook, nicknamed Hardest Geezer, arrived in Ras Angela, Tunisia’s most northerly point, at around 4.40pm on Sunday and was greeted with shouts and cheers from those who had flown out to meet him. Speaking to Sky News at the finish line, the 27-year-old endurance athlete said: “I’m pretty tired.” He set off from South Africa’s most southerly point on April 22 2023, facing visa complications, health scares and an armed robbery, and believes he is the first person to run the full length of Africa. For the final day of his challenge, Mr Cook invited his supporters to take on the last marathon with him, with many flying out to Tunisia from the UK and beyond to run alongside him. To celebrate his mammoth feat, Mr Cook will be throwing a finish line party at a hotel in Bizerte, Tunisia, featuring a performance from the British punk rock duo Soft Play, formerly known as Slaves.

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