How Brit has been robbed and kidnapped whereas working size of Africa
From a terrifying theft at gunpoint to being kidnapped by machete-wielding thugs within the jungle, Russ Cook’s mission to grow to be the primary particular person to run all the size of Africa has in no way been a stroll within the park.
The excessive marathon runner – and self-proclaimed ‘Hardest Geezer’ – has additionally discovered urine in his blood, battled with a number of sicknesses and endured crippling again ache whereas navigating 9,000 miles from the tip of South Africa to the northern coast of Tunisia on foot.
Mr Cook, who hopes to boost £1million for charity has lined floor throughout deserts, jungles and mountains whereas additionally having to dodge minefields and run by means of navy zones as he faces unthinkable challenges from each angle.
He admits that it is ‘harder than something’ he is ever carried out earlier than however he has all the time remained optimistic, insisting it has been ‘stunning’. He has raised greater than £100,000 throughout his mission to run what’s equal to greater than 360 marathons.
Among Mr Cook’s most terrifying ordeals was when he was ‘kidnapped’ by a gang of males armed with machetes within the Democratic Republic of the Congo in August.
Russ Cook, pictured right here in South Africa, is working from the southern tip of Africa to the northern coast of the continent
Russ Cook is pictured after enduring the ordeal of being robbed at gunpoint by thugs throughout his extraordinary run
Mr Cook will journey from South Africa and thru a complete of 16 international locations earlier than he finishes in Tunisia
Mr Cook, who paperwork his mammoth problem on his social media accounts every day, described the nightmare few days as ‘the hardest of my life’.
‘In an try to search out the boys at a village on the plan B route, I stumbled right into a rural settlement the place the chief advised me I have to give him cash. I had none,’ the runner wrote on day 107.
He added: ‘So that went down properly. Pretty quickly I discovered myself surrounded by numerous recreation blokes with machetes. Was escorted out the village into the bush.
‘Emptied my bag to point out I had nothing however a half eaten biscuit. Gave it to them, and ran. Spent the subsequent few hours bushwhacking by means of overgrown jungle paths. Trying to remain off any tracks till I used to be far-off.
‘Made it to the village on the plan B route to search out the street was additionally impassable for the help van once more. Exhausted and dehydrated, I began heading again to the final identified place with satisfactory roads when two blokes pulled up on a motorbike.
‘They spoke no English however tried to speak I have to include them to get again to my associates.
‘What occurred subsequent was a seven-hour bike trip deeper into the jungle. In my head I assumed this was it. Me. The self proclaimed hardest geezer. About to get held in a Congo gulag earlier than being ripped aside limb by limb and eaten.’
Cook claimed his help van was raided by ‘determined blokes with weapons’ and that the armed males stole his group’s cameras, cell phones and a few passports
Fortunately, Mr Cook was pushed right into a village and moved right into a hut the place he recalled a bunch of males clashing over what to do with him and discussing how a lot cash he owed them.
After some backwards and forwards negotiations, he was in a position to contact his group who spent the subsequent few days formulating a rescue plan.
Mr Cook finally managed to flee and returned again to his begin level that day, working one other 60km on a brand new route. He admitted that his head wasn’t ‘totally there’ however vowed to ‘transfer ahead’.
This would certainly be sufficient to ship most individuals again on the primary flight dwelling. But this was not even the primary time that Mr Cook cheated demise whereas making an attempt to create historical past.
Just two months prior, he was set upon by gun-toting thugs in rural Angola.
Mr Cook claimed his help van was raided by ‘determined blokes with weapons’ and that the armed males stole his group’s cameras, cell phones, some passports, and cash that they had.
‘Infamously unhealthy scenario to search out your self on the top of. Proper spot of hassle,’he quipped in late June.
He added that no person on his crew was damage within the armed hold-up and thanked his a whole bunch of 1000’s of followers for his or her messages of help.
Russell started his journey on April 22 by setting off from Cape Agulhas in South Africa, and since then has run some 1,850 miles
The ‘Hardest Geezer’ posted this photograph in an replace the place he revealed he had been surrounded by thugs with machetes
Sharing an replace the day after, Cook mentioned mentioned: ‘Vibes took a little bit of a beat down from yesterday’s antics however the one method to get out of that is to maintain going.
‘Hard instances? Yes sir. Back for extra? Absolutely.’
If being robbed at gunpoint and kidnapped by thugs with machetes wasn’t sufficient, Cook has additionally needed to battle together with his personal physique letting him down at instances.
He has shared private updates together with his followers about affected by meals poisoning, being struck down by illness a number of instances and discovering blood in his urine.
Just 26 days into his problem, Cook was unable to maintain meals down for 2 days as a result of abdomen points, though he insisted it ‘was all the time going to be a part of this mission’.
Meanwhile on day 45 – a uncommon day the place couldn’t make any additional floor, he wrote: ‘Ahhhh the remainder day I used to be attempting so arduous to keep away from. Went docs this morning. Got checks carried out. Blood & protein in my urine for the 4th day in a row.’
Cook admitted in an interview in October that he needed to enhance safety on account of the life-threatening moments.
He advised Good Morning Britain: ‘We type of went in to it with blind aggression, like did not actually know what we have been doing and clearly stumbled throughout fairly a number of completely different issues… we employed some new group members with a great deal of nice expertise. We’ve acquired the assistance of a safety firm.’
Given the challenges Cook has confronted, he continues to unfold positivity and displays on a few of the happiest moments, together with when big teams of runners have joined him on his journey in Namibia, Rwanda and Angola.
The athlete, who’s a self-described former ‘fats lad’ with alcohol and playing points, was launched to lengthy distance working when he entered a half marathon on the age of 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 per week in 2021.
Cook started his journey on April 22 by setting off from Cape Agulhas in South Africa.
The runner 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 supplies clear water and bathrooms in locations like Africa.
You can donate to his fundraising web page at https://givestar.io/gs/PROJECTAFRICA
