Russell Cook, from Worthing, West Sussex, ran the length of Africa for charity, managing to cover more than 10,100 miles in 352 days and building a huge following in the process
The UK’s ‘Hardest Geezer’ has announced his next adventure after running up the whole of Africa.
Russell Cook, from Worthing, West Sussex, ran the length of Africa for charity, more than 10,100 miles in 352 days. He faced extreme heat, people armed with machetes, and Saharan sandstorms. At the age of 27, he raised more than £790,000 for the Running Charity and Sandblast as part of the venture called Project Africa.
Now the pavement pounder has decided that his next endurance challenge will be running the 3,000km (1,860 miles) Te Araroa, a mountainous trail which spans the length of New Zealand. Along the way, Russ will immerse himself in New Zealand’s culture and seasonably warm autumn weather, taking on a city-scape bungee jump, sky diving over crystal clear waters, and bathing under the stars.
Te Araroa is famed as having some of the world’s most diverse terrains, with mountains, native forests, coastlines, seas and cities to navigate. This March Russ will take off from Stirling Point in Bluff at the southern tip of the South Island, and run northbound the equivalent of 60 ultramarathons, before crossing the finish line in Cape Rēinga in Northland.
During his challenge Russ will visit the historic Waitangi Treaty Grounds; be greeted by living ancestors in the form of Whanganui River and Waipoua Forest; and take in unique Māori Rock Art sites dating back hundreds of years. His trip partners 100% Pure New Zealand have organised that Russ will visit natural ancestral grounds, learn about New Zealand’s bid to become a dark sky nation under the clear night skies of Mackenzie; and cruise around the “8th wonder of the world”, Milford Sound.
Russ said: “Overcoming challenging adventures has had a massive impact on my life and I’m so excited to see what New Zealand has in store for me. I know there’s going to be a fair share of challenges that I’ve not yet faced before, as the terrain is so diverse on Te Araroa but I’m excited at the prospect of witnessing some incredible landscapes and meeting inspiring people from a rich and diverse culture.”
Russ’s incredible achievement of running up Africa is a far cry from his earlier days. He once described himself as a “fat lad” who had betting issues with a zest for life. The idea of running did not occur to him until he was in a nightclub at 3am in Brighton where he had an epiphany – and moments later was running the 12 miles home. Later, a friend “twisted his arm” into taking part in a half marathon. Little did he know but the conversation would lead him to Africa.
He told the Times : “I am actually not anything special. If you put me in a lab, I’m not genetically anything unusual. I used to be a fat lad. “I was drinking a lot. I was quite overweight, struggling with gambling and working lonely, miserable jobs that I really hated. I didn’t have any zest of life left. I just accepted the reality handed to me.”
Five months after finishing his Africa run, Russ teased an even more intense challenge, which for now seems to be on the planning board only.
“Pole to pole has got to be up there. Start in the South Pole, cross Antarctica on foot, then swim across Drake Passage, run the America’s including the Darién Gap, cross over during winter to the North Pole,” he said on X, formerly Twitter. “Two plus years of a marathon every day. Possible?”
