Brit could should abandon bid to run the size of Africa
- Russell Cook has run round 7,400 miles of the 9,000 route up by means of Africa
- But his mission to achieve Tunisia might be scuppered by a visa concern with Algeria
A British man who’s making an attempt to develop into the primary particular person to run the complete size of Africa may see his problem halted prematurely over a visa concern.
Russell Cook, an excessive marathon runner who is called Worthing’s ‘Hardest Geezer’, had deliberate to finish what quantities to 360 marathons in simply 240 days.
His route is taking him from South Africa, up by means of Central Africa, West Africa to skirt across the Sahara Desert and at last into North Africa to finish in Tunisia.
He has been met with a number of issues alongside the best way, together with an armed theft which meant the 26-year-old was compelled to increase the problem.
But his mission might be scuppered fully due to a difficulty with getting a visa to permit him to enter Algeria, the penultimate nation on his path to Tunisia.
Russell Cook – a British man who’s making an attempt to develop into the primary particular person to run the complete size of Africa – may see his problem halted prematurely over a visa concern
In a video posted to social media, Mr Cook stated the success of his problem was now depending on Algerian authorities granting him permission to enter.
‘Right women and boys, we’ve got a little bit of an issue. We have not been in a position to get visas for Algeria, and if we do not get them, then it is recreation over for venture Africa,’ he stated.
‘I’ve been operating now for 278 days, coated practically 12,000km (7,456 miles) by means of 13 international locations and raised over £140k for charity in my try to develop into the primary particular person ever to run the complete size of Africa
‘But proper now all of that’s completely hanging on whether or not we are able to get permission from Algeria to allow us to cross in by means of this border with Mauritania,’ he stated.
‘This is the one possibility we’ve got left so, Algeria, should you’re listening, please attain out to me. Anything you want from us please let me know,’ he added, addressing Algerian authorities. ‘It could be an absolute privilege to go to your lovely nation.
‘To everybody following the journey on-line please assist us out by sharing this and serving to us get this seen by the suitable individuals in Algeria.’
Tim Loughton, Conservative MP for East Worthing, stated he had been despatched Mr Cook’s video, and supplied to assist by contacting the Foreign Office.
‘Russ-have been despatched this and I collect that you’re from East Worthing,’ he stated.
‘Can you e-mail me some particulars and we are going to do what we are able to to assist by means of the Foreign Office and Algerian Embassy.’
MP Alexander Stafford, the Chair of the Parliamentary Group for Algeria, has additionally written to the Algerian ambassador.
‘As I’m certain you might be conscious, Russ has set himself the problem of operating the size of Africa in assist of The Running Charity, for which he has at the moment raised over £140,000,’ Stafford wrote within the letter revealed to X (previously Twitter).
‘As I perceive it, Russ is dealing with vital challenges in securing the visas and permits he wants for him and his workforce to have the ability to cross from Mauritania into Algeria in order that he can attain Cape Angela in Tunisia.
‘I’m writing, subsequently, to ask you to do all which you could to guarantee that Russ, and the workforce who’ve supported him on his wonderful problem, are in a position to get the visas and permits they should journey by means of Tunisia.’
In a video posted to social media, Mr Cook stated the success of his problem was now depending on Algerian authorities granting him permission to enter
Russell Cook, an excessive marathon runner who is called Worthing’s ‘Hardest Geezer’, is operating a 9000 mile route from South Africa to Tunisia (pictured)
Russell is embarking on a tortuous quest to race greater than 9000 miles from the southernmost tip of South Africa to the northern coast of Tunisia on foot.
In the method the 26-year-old will cross 16 international locations and courageous a few of the most inhospitable environments recognized to man – together with rainforests and deserts.
Russell claims he could be the primary particular person to make the journey and he desires ‘to undergo’ as he does it, whereas elevating for cash charity.
The athlete, who’s a self-described former ‘fats lad’ with alcohol and playing points, was launched to lengthy distance operating when he entered a half marathon aged 21.
Since then he has gained a popularity for making an attempt trials of energy and endurance – he ran 71 marathons in 66 days from Asia to London in 2019, pulled a Suzuki Alto 26 miles alongside the south coast and was buried alive for every week in 2021.
But #ChallengeAfrica, as he calls it, is on one other degree and he isn’t doing issues the simple method, telling The Times in May final yr that he has no intention of taking unenforced stops on the journey.
Russell’s mission might be scuppered fully due to a difficulty with getting a visa to permit him to enter Algeria, the penultimate nation on his path to Tunisia
Russell started his journey on April 22 by setting off from Cape Agulhas in South Africa. In a video posted to social media, Mr Cook stated the success of his problem was now dependant on Algerian authorities granting him permission to enter
Over the course of his journey he has already handed by means of South Africa, Namibia, Angola (the place he was mugged),the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Guinea.
He is at the moment in Senegal, based on his updates on run monitoring app Strava, and nonetheless has Mauritania and Algeria to go on his option to the end line in northern Tunisia.
On the journey he has been compelled to take care of a few of the most inhospitable environments on the planet, in addition to man-made issues.
But as he contends with the visa points, he’s additionally approaching probably the most troublesome stretch of the problem – crossing the Sahara Desert.
On Day 273 of his problem, he stated he was ‘sizing up the Sahara’ earlier than the ultimate leg of his mission.
‘We’ve obtained a troublesome stretch to manoeuvre. One of these causes is as a result of the Sahara Desert is actually huge, famously has no water and may be very scorching,’ he stated in in replace a couple of days earlier than telling his followers in regards to the visa hassle.
‘Another factor so as to add into that concern is that there are some fairly troublesome geopolitical points to resolve in that area.
‘We should cross from Mauritania to Algeria on foot, which so far as we are able to see from analysis, hasn’t been performed by foreigners in a really very long time.’
The excessive runner, who has a mantra of ‘you have obtained one life, so assault it’, admits he may do everlasting injury to his physique in his try.
Russell started his journey on April 22 by setting off from Cape Agulhas in South Africa, and is elevating cash for charity as he makes an attempt the acute feat.
Half of the proceeds will go to The Running Charity, which helps younger people who find themselves homeless, and the opposite half will go to WaterAid, which gives clear water and bathrooms in locations like Africa.
*You can donate to his fundraising web page right here*
