On Sunday, April 7, 2024, Russ Cook dinner of the U.Okay,, higher often known as the Hardest Geezer, accomplished his Venture Africa, a run from the southern finish of the continent to its northernmost tip.
After 352 days of working, beginning in Cape Agulhas, South Africa, and ending in Ras Angela, Tunisia, Cook dinner accomplished the massive effort that has up to now raised greater than £613,000 ($775,000) for 2 charities, the Working Charity and the Sandblast Charity. The run took him over 16,300 kilometers (10,130 miles) and thru 16 international locations, following the continent’s western border earlier than the ultimate crossing of the Sahara Desert.
A screenshot from considered one of Russ Cook dinner’s YouTube movies as he entered Algeria close to the top of his Venture Africa. All pictures are screenshots from Cook dinner’s YouTube web page.
With a minimal help crew of associates, a four-wheel drive camper truck, and a camper van, this was a far cry from an enormous manufacturing. Alongside the best way, Cook dinner and his staff have documented his journey on numerous social media channels, together with a in style YouTube collection. He’s developed a loyal following for his almost year-long journey by showcasing the journey’s highs and being trustworthy about all of the difficulties. His large crimson beard and outgoing persona have made for enjoyable movies that confirmed the logistics of constructing such an enormous endeavor occur.
As anticipated, it didn’t all go as deliberate.
To start out with, he’d deliberate to do the run in reverse, however he ended up heading north as an alternative of south. And as soon as out on the highway, the plan had loads of surprising hiccups. At one cut-off date, he was robbed at gunpoint however managed to speak himself to security. He appears to embrace working by blowing sand first in a pair of swim goggles, after which in a set of upgraded lab goggles. Again points despatched him to the physician for x-rays, and meals poisoning had him vomiting on the aspect of the highway.
When the sand and wind obtained unhealthy, lab goggles have been the protecting clothes merchandise of alternative.
He crossed the 2 greatest deserts in Africa, first the Namib after which the Sahara. Between the limitless stretches of desert, he traversed the Congolian rainforest, the second-largest rainforest on the planet. And with all these landscapes got here the animals that Africa is legendary for. Neglect the lions and elephants, although, the issues related to getting visas and permissions for numerous international locations seem to have been among the many greatest challenges.
However perseverance has paid off, and Cook dinner has completed.
Russ Cook dinner’s Venture Africa route and progress with only some days to go.
Cook dinner invited anybody to hitch the run for the ultimate day of working. Assembly at 10 a.m. native time on Sunday, April 7, he left the Shell fuel station in Ghezala, Tunisia, and ran till he hit the Mediterranean Sea. He had beforehand introduced plans for a correct finish-line celebration with a band and free lodging for individuals who come out to complete his journey in fashion.
Massive working feats are nothing new for Cook dinner, and he’s accomplished a number of different huge run initiatives. In 2019, he ran from Istanbul, Turkey, to London, England, in 66 days, traversing 11 international locations on the best way. Regardless of his personal adventurous spirit, he’s additionally ever encouraging others to chase their goals and get out on their very own large adventures.
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Russ Cook dinner working in Algeria with just one extra nation to enter earlier than the end.
