Row erupts over Hardest Geezer’s claim of ‘record’ run of Africa

A row has erupted over Hardest Geezer’s claim to be the first person to run the length of Africa.

Russ Cook, from West Sussex, completed his gruelling challenge on Sunday after reaching the finish line at the most northerly point in Tunisia – 352 days and over 16,000 km after setting off from the southern tip of South Africa.

The 27-year-old, who documented his arduous journey on TikTok and raised over £700,000 for charity, faced several scares that threatened his mission, including armed robbery, visa complications and food poisoning.

Cook believes he is the first person to run the full length of Africa – but that has now been disputed by the World Runners Association, a seven-member collective of individuals who have successfully completed a circumnavigation of the Earth on foot.

The WRA claim one of their members, a Danish man named Jesper Olsen, actually became the first person to run the length of Africa back in 2010 when he travelled from Taba in Egypt to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa in 434 days.

The group say Olsen, who was 37 at the time, ran the length of Africa during a “world run” challenge that saw him cross several more continents and are adamant that his record still stands.

Meanwhile, a British man named Nicholas Bourne has also come forward to assert his claim of owning the length of Africa record.

Bourne became the first person to run from Cape Town to Cairo in 1998 – covering over 10,000km through deserts and war zones – and was certified by the Guinness Book of Records in 2000.

Speaking to the Independent, Bourne said he had been urged by friends to say something after hearing of Cook’s claim, but said he had “no interest” in detracting from the 27-year-old’s achievement.

Bourne said disputes often arise around ultra-running records because there was no governing body to oversee and set criteria for long-distance challenges, but added: “My hat goes off to Russ, it’s an outstanding effort.”

‘Hardest Geezer’ did not take the most direct route through Africa – instead travelling north by roughly following the west coast of the continent.

Cook’s run was 3,400km longer than Olsen’s route but the WRA insisted that it did not matter.

The WRA claim to have contacted Cook warning him that Olsen and two other members, Serge Girard from France and Tony Mangan from Ireland, had also completed the challenge previously.

“He cannot say he is the first person to run the length of Africa,” said WRA member Marie Leautey, who completed her circumnavigation of the Earth on foot in 2022. “We really congratulate Russ, we just do not want Jesper’s achievement to be denied.

“I can accept that maybe he did not know about it or didn’t do the research or he really thought he was the first person, for some reason.

“We contacted him [Mr Cook] on social media, on Instagram, social media, before this. We have tried and now we have seen the press in the UK, saying he was the first.

“We should get the facts right. We have no problem with him claiming to be the first to run from the most southern [point] to the most northern.

“But when we read he is the first man to run the entire length of Africa it is just not true, from a facts perspective.”

Meanwhile, Olsen gently poked fun at Cook for taking “several days off” during his challenge.

Speaking to the Telegraph, he said: “Serge Girard in his world run crossed five continents and completed his run without one single day off during the entire run.

“To compare this with Russ Cook’s run through Africa where there were several days off – I think, with all respect – is in itself a bit of a stretch, to compare a half-marathon with a full marathon.

“So for me it’s not about putting attention on myself. But to put the right scale to things so recreational runners can get an idea of where the maximal limits are in ultra-running. And hopefully get inspired.”

Backed by millions of supporters on social media, Hardest Geezer arrived in Ras Angela, Tunisia’s most northerly point and was greeted with shouts and cheers from those who had flown out to meet him.

Throughout the venture, called Project Africa, Cook has raised more than £700,000 for two charities, the Running Charity and Sandblast, the latter of which is a UK-registered charity raising awareness of the indigenous Saharawi people of western Sahara.

Cook, who turned to ultra-running after struggling with mental health, gambling and drinking, said on X that the challenge had “no doubt been the toughest of my life” but an “immense honour”.

“We have met incredible people in every single country we’ve been to that have welcomed us with love & kindness. The human spirit is a beautiful thing,” he wrote.

“Very grateful for these experiences and would definitely encourage anyone out there to go get after that adventure, whatever it looks like for you. Thank you to the people of Africa for being such an amazing part of this journey.”

The WRA president, Phil Essam, said: “The WRA recognises Mr Jesper Kenn Olsen of Denmark as the first person to have run the full length of Africa.

“The World Runners Association therefore contests the claim made by British national Mr Russ Cook to be the first person to run the length of Africa.”

Includes reporting from PA