Russ Cook becomes first redhead to run the length of Africa
Russ Cook, an athletic redhead who is also known as the “Hardest Geezer,” finished his 9,940-mile (16,000-kilometer) run along the entire length of Africa on Sunday. He woke up feeling “a little bit frosty, a little bit tired” after downing a strawberry daiquiri and a few beers while he enjoyed a reunion with his girlfriend after more than a year apart.
And for once, the Worthing, West Sussex-based extreme athlete, 27, who went on an incredible journey to raise over £700,000 for charity, did not wear his running shoes. He described it as “quite, quite overwhelming.”
Cook, who also boasts the brightest ginger beard anyone has ever seen, set out on April 22, 2023, from Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of South Africa, to Ras Angela, the northernmost point of Tunisia, in an attempt to become the first person to run the whole length of Africa.
The “hardest geezer” ended up running for 352 days through 16 countries and posted his entire journey on social media. Needless to say, his followers were captivated by it, and the videos gained millions of views.
“Just trying to soak it all in really, trying to enjoy it, and the thought of not running today is a bit of a mad one. It is very, very strange,” Cook told ITV’s Good Morning Britain (GMB) live from Tunisia, where he crossed the finish line on Sunday afternoon.
“I think my body said ‘finally, nice one mate, chill out a minute’. Need to get some stretching done, maybe today, but yeah, no running. Unbelievable.”
In order to raise money for the Running Charity, which offers running and mental health programmes for young people experiencing homelessness and complex needs, as well as the charity Sandblast, which raises awareness of the Saharawi people, Cook said that he faced multiple challenges during his journey through rainforests, over mountain ranges, and across the Sahara.
The redheaded runner experienced health worries, visa issues, as well as being robbed at gunpoint in Angola.
Cook also said that, at one point, he was held captive by guys who threatened him with machetes in the Republic of the Congo.
When asked about his scariest moment, Cook revealed that it had been when he spent days in the jungle alone. The redheaded runner had vanished from his supporters when the villagers brandished their machetes.
“The scariest moment was in the Congo, when I was on the back of a motorbike, thinking I was about to die, getting driven into the jungle. That was pretty nuts,” the redheaded runner told reporters in Tunisia.
“Probably for about one minute I thought about quitting, and then I realised I couldn’t, so that was about as close as it got.”
However, despite the threats to his life, Cook said that he had never considered giving up. “No, I always knew it was inevitable, just need to keep plugging away one step at a time and eventually it would get done,” the redheaded runner explained.
As Cook continues to soak in his glory, there has also been some question to whether he was the first person to run the entire length of the continent, with the argument revolving around the definition of the length of Africa.
As part of his “world run” quest, which involved running across many continents, Danish runner Jesper Kenn Olsen became the very first person to run the length of Africa, according to the World Runners Association (WRA), a club of nine athletes who have successfully completed the entire circumnavigation of the globe on foot.
Reports note that Olsen started his quest at Taba, Egypt on 28 December 2008, before finishing his 7,948-mile run through the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa in 2010.
“Mr Olsen ran through Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Swaziland and South Africa. He hereby fulfilled the criteria for a full-length run across Africa,” said to WRA President Phil Essam.
But, rumour has it, Cook took a far longer path, travelling down the west coast and from the south to the north, instead of travelling as the crow flies.
The redheaded runner also told GMB that he is unfazed by the argument.
“I haven’t heard anything about it, to be fair. But there’s plenty of people before me that have done lots of big runs and kudos to all of them because they are big challenges. So, nothing but respect, really,” he said.
“I knew it was going to be hard but I knew I was also going into the unknown,” Cook declared, summarising every aspect of his challenge.
That redhead determination has done Russell well – all gingers are proud of you!