A 26-year-old runner making an attempt to run your complete size of Africa, protecting 360 marathons in 240 days (15,120 km), has had his journey halted in one in every of his closing international locations—Algeria. Russell Cook dinner of Worthing, U.Okay., has encountered visa points crossing the border from Mauritania into Algeria, bringing his transcontinental journey to a pause.
Day 278 of operating your complete size of Africa. Want your assist now greater than ever on this one. Admire you all🫡 pic.twitter.com/AvQGt1Noi7
— Russ Cook dinner (@hardestgeezer) January 23, 2024
Cook dinner has been on the street for 278 days, protecting over 12,000 kilometres by 13 totally different international locations. He started his journey on the most southern level of Africa in Cape Agulhas, South Africa, on April 22, with the purpose closing vacation spot being Tunisia’s most northerly level on the Mediterranean Sea.
His journey from South Africa to the Algerian border has not been clean crusing. Cook dinner, often known as the “Hardest Geezer” on social media, has confronted a number of visa problems, well being challenges, and was even robbed at gunpoint in Angola, the place his crew misplaced their cameras, telephones, money and passports. Initially planning to wrap up his journey from South to North Africa in 240 days, the crew is now 38 days over their projected end time, and compelled for an additional extension of the timeline.
British ultrarunner mugged at gunpoint throughout run throughout Africa
In an interview with the BBC, Cook dinner mentioned, “If we don’t get the visas, it’s recreation over. It’s the one choice we’ve received. There isn’t any different approach to get to probably the most northern tip of Africa [than through Algeria].”
Upon studying of the predicament, Tim Loughton, a neighborhood member of parliament for Cook dinner’s hometown of Worthing, has been attempting to help him in acquiring an Algerian visa. In accordance with the BBC, Loughton has urged Cook dinner and his crew to supply particulars for intervention by the Overseas Workplace and Algerian Embassy, additionally elevating the problem with the Algerian Ambassador within the U.Okay.
Congratulations to the Algerian handball crew. I be part of you in wishing all of them the perfect for the ultimate. Inshallah🇩🇿🫡
— Russ Cook dinner (@hardestgeezer) January 25, 2024
Cook dinner’s continental run has been nothing in need of unimaginable, elevating £145,000 (practically CAD $250,000) to assist youth homelessness with The Working Charity up to now. As Cook dinner now faces this closing hurdle, his hope is that he receives the mandatory assist wanted to succeed in the northern shores of Tunisia and the Mediterranean Sea for a noble trigger.
