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A row has erupted over Hardest Geezer’s declare to be the primary individual to run the size of Africa.
Russ Cook dinner, from West Sussex, accomplished his gruelling problem on Sunday after reaching the end line on the most northerly level 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, confronted a number of scares that threatened his mission, together with armed theft, visa problems and meals poisoning.
Cook dinner believes he’s the primary individual to run the complete size of Africa – however that has now been disputed by the World Runners Affiliation, a seven-member collective of people who’ve efficiently accomplished a circumnavigation of the Earth on foot.
The WRA one among their members, a Danish man named Jesper Olsen, truly turned the primary individual to run the size of Africa again 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 on the time, ran the size of Africa throughout a “world run” problem that noticed him cross a number of extra continents and are adamant that his file nonetheless stands.
In the meantime, a British man named Nicholas Bourne has additionally come ahead to claim his declare of proudly owning the size of Africa file.
Bourne turned the primary individual to run from Cape City to Cairo in 1998 – protecting over 10,000km by deserts and struggle zones – and was licensed by the Guinness E book of Data in 2000.
‘Hardest Geezer’ didn’t take essentially the most direct route by Africa – as an alternative travelling north by roughly following the west coast of the continent.
Cook dinner’s run was 3,400km longer than Olsen’s route however the WRA insisted that it didn’t matter.
The WRA declare to have contacted Cook dinner warning him that Olsen and two different members, Serge Girard from France and Tony Mangan from Eire, had additionally accomplished the problem beforehand.
“He can not say he’s the primary individual to run the size of Africa,” mentioned WRA member Marie Leautey, who accomplished her circumnavigation of the Earth on foot in 2022. “We actually congratulate Russ, we simply don’t need Jesper’s achievement to be denied.
“I can settle for that possibly he didn’t find out about it or didn’t do the analysis or he actually thought he was the primary individual, for some motive.
“We contacted him [Mr Cook] on social media, on Instagram, social media, earlier than this. We’ve tried and now we’ve got seen the press within the UK, saying he was the primary.
“We should always get the info proper. We’ve no downside with him claiming to be the primary to run from essentially the most southern [point] to essentially the most northern.
“However after we learn he’s the primary man to run the complete size of Africa it’s simply not true, from a info perspective.”
In the meantime, Olsen gently poked enjoyable at Cook dinner for taking “a number of days off” throughout his problem.
Chatting with the Telegraph, he mentioned: “Serge Girard in his world run crossed 5 continents and accomplished his run with out one single break day throughout the complete run.
“To match this with Russ Cook dinner’s run by Africa the place there have been a number of days off – I feel, with all respect – is in itself a little bit of a stretch, to check a half-marathon with a full marathon.
“So for me it’s not about placing consideration on myself. However to place the proper scale to issues so leisure runners can get an thought of the place the maximal limits are in ultra-running. And hopefully get impressed.”
Backed by tens of millions of supporters on social media, Hardest Geezer arrived in Ras Angela, Tunisia’s most northerly level on Sunday and was greeted with shouts and cheers from those that had flown out to fulfill him.
All through the enterprise, referred to as Undertaking Africa, Mr Cook dinner has raised greater than £600,000 for 2 charities, the Working Charity and Sandblast, the latter of which is a UK-registered charity elevating consciousness of the indigenous Saharawi folks of western Sahara.
Final Tuesday, Mr Cook dinner mentioned on X that the problem had “little doubt been the hardest of my life” however an “immense honour”.
“We’ve met unbelievable folks in each single nation we’ve been to which have welcomed us with love & kindness. The human spirit is an exquisite factor,” he wrote.
“Very grateful for these experiences and would undoubtedly encourage anybody on the market to go get after that journey, no matter it seems like for you.
“Thanks to the folks of Africa for being such an incredible a part of this journey.”
The WRA president, Phil Essam, mentioned: “The WRA recognises Mr Jesper Kenn Olsen of Denmark as the primary individual to have run the complete size of Africa.
“The World Runners Affiliation due to this fact contests the declare made by British nationwide Mr Russ Cook dinner to be the primary individual to run the size of Africa.”
Contains reporting from PA
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