Runner shares scariest moments from Africa run

Published: 08 April 2024 at 09:42

Health

Russ Cook, known as "The Hardest Geezer," recalls facing fear in the Congo on a motorbike during his 9,941-mile run across Africa. He was separated in the jungle but rescued by villagers with machetes. In Angola, Cook was robbed at gunpoint. The 27-year-old raised 700,000 for charity, aiming for 1 million to support youth and Algerian refugee programs. Motivated by family and legacy, Cook completed the equivalent of 379 marathons. Zimbabwe declared a state of disaster due to drought. Nairobi saw explosions from a gas cylinder lorry, leaving three dead.

DEEP DIVE

British Man Running Length of Africa to Complete Gruelling Challenge

Russ Cook, also known as "Hardest Geezer," has been running for 350 days and aims to finish the 16,000km run from Cape Agulhas, South Africa to North Africa. He is fundraising for The Running Charity and Sandblast, with recent donations exceeding 217,000 of his 568,000 total. Along the way, he faced challenges including being robbed at gunpoint in Angola and getting lost in the jungle in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A social media campaign helped him secure a visa to cross the border into Algeria from Mauritania.

Russ Cook (Wikipedia)

Russell Cook (born 13 March 1997), also known as Hardest Geezer, is a British endurance athlete from Worthing, West Sussex who holds several world records. Cook holds the record for being the only person to have run from the entire length of Africa from the southernmost to northernmost point of the continent, as part of Project Africa. Others have made similar claims about running the length of Africa, although Cook's attempt is the only known record of a person running the length of continental Africa in its entirety.

Project Africa (Wikipedia)

Project Africa was a successful attempt by British endurance athlete Russ Cook to be the first person to run the entire length of continental Africa.Starting from Cape Agulhas, South Africa in February 2023, it took Cook 352 days and over 9,940 miles (16,000 km) to reach the most northerly point of Africa in Bizerte, Tunisia on 7 April 2024. Although initially planning to complete the feat in 240 days, complications with visas, injury, armed robbery, and kidnapping led to the attempt taking over three months longer. As of April 2024, Cook is the only known person to have ever run the entire length of Africa.The project was fundraising for two charities, The Running Charity and Sandblast, and had raised 70% of its £1,000,000 goal on 7 April 2024.

World Runners Association (Wikipedia)

The World Runners Association (WRA) adjudicates on official attempts to run or walk around the world, including the ratification or otherwise of claims for a variety of world records. These records comprise the categories of Longest Circumnavigation of the Earth on Foot, Fastest Circumnavigation of the Earth on Foot, Most Circumnavigations of the Earth on Foot, Oldest Person to Circumnavigate the Earth on Foot and Youngest Person to Circumnavigate the Earth on Foot.The WRA is the international governing body for the sport of running and walking events involving a circumnavigation of the Earth on foot.In a 2024 press release the WRA caused controversy in which they claimed Olsen to be the first person to run the entire length of Africa. This was incorrect as Olsen never navigated the southernmost and northernmost points of the continent. This feat was completed on the 7th of April 2024 by Russ Cook aka “Hardest Geezer” .

South African Footballer Luke Fleurs Killed in Car Hijacking

South African footballer Luke Fleurs, aged 24, was shot and killed during a car hijacking at a petrol station in Johannesburg. He played as a defender for Kaizer Chiefs and represented South Africa at the Tokyo Olympics. Fleurs' former clubs paid tribute to him, with Kaizer Chiefs describing him as a 'classy defender' with 'great technical abilities'. The incident highlights the high murder rate in South Africa, with thousands of fatal hijackings reported annually.

Zimbabwe Declares National Disaster Over El Nino-Induced Drought, Seeks $2bn in Aid

President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe has declared a national disaster due to a severe drought caused by El Nino, seeking $2 billion in aid to assist millions facing hunger. The drought, affecting southern Africa, has left over 2.7 million people without enough food, with the country's grain harvest falling short. Zimbabwe is the third country in the region to declare the drought a national disaster, impacting not just food security but also electricity production due to heavy reliance on hydroelectric power.