This Brit turned the primary man to run throughout Africa | EUROtoday
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HASith his lengthy pink beard, Russ Cook, 27, arrived late Sunday afternoon in Cape Angela, within the north of Tunisia. The terminus of an unbelievable journey that started on April 22, 2023 on the southern tip of South Africa.
The British adventurer on Sunday turned the primary man to have run throughout Africa, from south to north. In 351 days, he ran 16,250 kilometers, which corresponds to greater than a marathon per day for nearly a 12 months.
Russ Cook has crossed 16 nations, touring via mountains, rainforests and the Sahara. His “Project Africa” allowed him to boost round 670,000 euros which he’ll donate to Running Charity, an affiliation which helps the homeless within the United Kingdom.
“Mission complete,” he soberly commented on his X account (previously Twitter). The adventurer was joined by many supporters within the final kilometers of his expedition.
An armed theft in Namibia and a kidnapping in DR Congo
Nicknamed Hardest Geezer (“The toughest guy”), the adventurer didn’t expertise the calmest expedition. The Briton and his group had been victims of an armed theft in Namibia, the place they’d their passports, cameras, telephones and cash stolen.
In June, Russ Cook disappeared for a number of days within the Democratic Republic of Congo. The adventurer was detained by villagers armed with machetes who freed the Briton in alternate for a ransom. “I probably thought about stopping for a moment after what happened in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but I changed my mind. So it was like I never wanted to give up,” he mentioned upon his arrival.
In the Sahara, the adventurer was pressured to run at evening to deal with the acute warmth. The Sahara Desert was very tough with the sandstorms and the kilometers piling up, however I didn't need to cease,” he remembers. Another downside encountered by Russ Cook, a visa downside on the finish of his expedition prevented him from getting into Algeria. Finally, on the finish of January, the Algerian embassy in London delivered the ticket.
Before his departure, Russ Cook defined to the British press company PA that he suffered from an habit to betting and alcohol. “I'm a very regular man, so if I can do that, I hope individuals can apply that to their very own lives, in no matter approach they select. For 99% of individuals, it received't be about operating throughout Africa, however perhaps chasing their goals just a little extra,” he explains, concluding that he merely needs to profit from his life now.
https://www.lepoint.fr/sport/ce-britannique-est-devenu-le-premier-homme-a-traverser-l-afrique-en-courant-08-04-2024-2557149_26.php