The man who is aiming to become the first person to run the length of Africa may be forced to quit after 278 days.
26-year-old Russell Cook embarked on his ambitious mission on 22 April 2023 as he aims to complete 360 marathons in 240 days and run the whole length of Africa.
So far, the Brit has been running for 278 days and has covered 12,00km by running across 13 countries.
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However, Cook could soon be forced to quit, as he explained in a recent video posted on social media. You can watch the footage below.
He said: “Right, girls and boys, we have a bit of a problem. We haven’t been able to get visas for Algeria and if we don’t get them, then it is game over for Project Africa.
“I've been on the road for 278 days, ran 12,000km [7,456 miles] across 13 different countries, raised over £140,000 for charity - but it is all hanging in the balance, to be honest, on whether Algeria will give us permission to cross this border with Mauritania.”
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“It's the only option we've got. There is literally no other way to get to the most northern tip of Africa for us. So Algeria, if you’re listening, would really appreciate someone reaching out on the contact below. If there’s anything you need to see from me, please let me know. It’d be a massive privilege to visit your country.”
Cook continued: “To everyone that’s been following this journey online, thank you so much for the support you’ve shown me for the last nine months. I wouldn’t have been able to get here without you.
“But right now, need you more than ever. If you can share this video, tag these people in the comments. Hopefully, we can get to the most northern tip of Africa and get this thing done.”
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Accompanying the video, Cook wrote: “Day 278 of running the entire length of Africa. Need your support now more than ever on this one. Appreciate you all.”
Explaining the task he has ahead, Cook said: “We have to cross from Mauritania to Algeria on foot, which as far as we can see from research, hasn't been done by foreigners in a very long time.”
Marcus Chan