A man running the length of Africa has announced the date he hopes to complete his epic trek.
Russell Cook, from Worthing, has been running 15,000km, equivalent to more than 360 marathons, across Africa from south to north.
Despite facing complications with visas and an armed robbery, Russell, also known as “The Hardest Geezer” announced he expects to complete his trek across Africa in April.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he said that he will complete “Project Africa” on April 6, becoming “the first person ever to run the entire length of Africa”.
#ProjectAfrica Day 284-289
— Russ Cook (@hardestgeezer) February 4, 2024
Total raised for charity: £159,127
Day 284: 51.4km
Day 285: 48.7km
Day 286: 46.9km
Day 287: 50.8km
Day 288: 50.6km
Day 289: 49.8km
Finally got a finish date locked in. April 7th 2024. The first person ever to run the entire length of Africa. It’s… pic.twitter.com/LIBblCwhRd
Russ has so far raised more than £167,000 for The Running Charity, which helps people experiencing homelessness, and Sandblast, which provides skills development projects in refugee camps in the disputed Western Sahara.
Last week, Russell faced a challenge entering Algeria as he struggled to obtain a visa.
However, after an appeal on social media and with support from MPs back in Britain, he was able to get support from the Algerian embassy in the UK to secure a suitable visa to continue his trek.
Donations to Russell’s fundraiser can be made by visiting https://givestar.io/gs/PROJECTAFRICA.
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