Brit who was robbed at gunpoint trying to run length of Africa now has to be escorted by police
The Brit who was robbed at gunpoint trying to run the length of Africa is now having to be escorted by police as he continues his gruelling challenge.
Russell Cook - aka @hardestgeezer - is aiming to run 360 marathons in 240 days, which is the equivalent of a staggering 14,500km (9,320 miles).
The ambitious feat will see him running through the Sahara desert, rainforests and cities across the length of Africa.
As if that wasn’t hard enough, Cook was recently met with another obstacle when he was robbed at gunpoint while on the road.
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The 25-year-old from Worthing, West Sussex, said on Twitter that he’d been held up by a gang of men with guns.
“Nothing like a gun being pointed at your face to let you know you’re alive,” he said, adding that he’d endured a ‘lively one today’.
“Ferocious 1s & 2s all morning. Met the boys for a lunch break. Chatting our usual dribble in the van like any other day when a couple [of] lads popped open the side door and demanded everything we have.
“Desperate blokes with guns pointed. Infamously bad situation to find yourself on the end of. Proper spot of bother. Damage limitation.”
Thankfully, Cook reassured his followers that no one was hurt, but that the robbers did run off with cash, passports and some of their kit.
“None of us got killed or injured,” he continued.
“We didn’t let them march us out [of] the van. But we did lose a lot of our gear. Couple cameras, 2 iPhones, all of our cash, passports and a few other bits. Rough gig. But we live to tell the tale. Could’ve been a lot worse. Local police [are] doing as much as they can to help.
“The relentless nature of this mission is quite something. Problems from every angle. No respite. Till the bitter end.”
Now he has revealed that he’s been joined by police as he continues his journey, having posted a photo of the escort car travelling at ‘10km p/h’.
Marking day 66 of the challenge, Cook said: “Intense day. Hot, humid, hills. Triple threat. The Angolan police are now escorting us.
"Feel sorry for the guy who’s gotta sit at 10km p/h in his motor all day. Grateful that Angola is doing what they can to keep us safe.
“I can’t speak any Portuguese so I’d be lying if I said I know much about what’s happening but Harry is doing all the talking whilst I handle the stomping.”
And being robbed at gunpoint wasn’t the only issue he’s been facing either.
“In other news these malaria meds have been spinning my head major,” he went on.
“Cannot run daily ultra marathons on these things so gotta give them a miss and play fast and loose with one of the deadliest diseases in the world instead. The game is the game."
Cook said if he completes his mission he will 'become the first person ever to run the full length of Africa'.
In another update to fans yesterday, he said: "It took me 66 days to complete my Asia - London run back in 2019. I’ve ran more KMs per day on average in Africa. Still only about a quarter of the way. Relentless."
Topics: UK News, Sport, World News
Jess Hardiman