Britt Russ Cook is going viral – or at least his achievement is – and not surprisingly so: this week the ultra runner completed a monster run of 16,250 kilometers in 350 days. Cook ran the full length of the African continent.
Last year, Cook set off from Cape Agulhas, the southernmost part of South Africa. During his run he raised no less than 650,000 euros for charity and he crossed sixteen countries. Now he finished in northern Tunisia.
Aside from the physical discomfort, Cook faced several setbacks during his journey. As early as the second month, Cook and his team were ambushed by an armed gang in Angola, stealing not only phones and cameras, but also passports and visas. Toward the end of the attempt – after 278 days – however, an even greater setback came: the authorities of Mauritania and Algeria would not allow Cook to cross the border. In response, Cook posted an emotional video on X, stating that that was the end of his journey. That video was seen by more than 12 million people, including Elon Musk and British politicians, and that led to Cook finally being allowed to cross the border after all.
