Man Set To Become First Person In History To Run Entire Length Of Africa This Weekend

This weekend, a British runner is about to make history as he's on track to be the first person to run the full stretch of Africa.

Russell Cook embarked on a jaw-dropping adventure in April of last year, and folks on social media have been hooked on his updates from day one.

Credit: X / @hardestgeezer

Kicking things off at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Cook has journeyed through countries like Namibia, Angola, and the Republic of Congo.

He aimed to knock out an astounding 360 marathons within 240 days, conquering Africa from end to end.

Along the way, Cook hasn’t been shy about sharing videos and posts, giving us all a window into his epic expedition, complete with its fair share of hiccups.

A little while back, he hit a snag and opened up to his followers, sharing, "I've got a bit of a problem," due to him and his team struggling to secure visas for Algeria.

Without the visas, he put it bluntly on X: "If we don't get them, then it's game over for project Africa."

"[I've] raised over £140k for charity in my attempt to become the first person ever to run the entire length of Africa."

"But right now all of that is totally hanging on whether we can get permission from Algeria to let us cross in through this border with Mauritania," he continued. 

Credit: X / @hardestgeezer

Reaching out to the locals for assistance, he said, "Anything you need from us please let me know."

"It would be an absolute privilege to visit your beautiful country."

He also called on his online supporters: "To everyone following the journey online please help us out by sharing this and helping us get this seen by the appropriate people in Algeria."

"Thank you for the support guys we need it now more than ever."

And it looks like his plea paid off, as he was able to press on with his run.

Cook's route included passing through what he called the 'most dangerous country', which racked up more safety warnings than any other place he’d run through.

Despite the risks of kidnapping and violence, he made it through Nigeria without a hitch.

Credit: X / @hardestgeezer

This Sunday, April 7, marks the finish line for Cook’s mammoth task, with British punk band Soft Play set to celebrate his achievement.

The festivities will be at a hotel in Bizerte, Tunisia, where he teased:

"Get your daiquiris ready girls and boys. This is going to be mega."

And with a heart full of excitement, he announced on X: "Cannot quite believe it but we've managed to pull off Soft Play playing the finish line party in Tunisia."

"Anyone that can make it is more than welcome."