‘Hardest Geezer’ Russ Cook sets seven ‘semi-impossible’ ultra-endurance challenges – including a Forrest Gump-style non-stop run

Ultra-endurance athlete Russ Cook, better known as the Hardest Geezer, has revealed plans to tackle SEVEN new extreme challenges – including a Forrest Gump-style run-til-you-drop trek, which he hopes will see him clock up the longest non-stop run ever by an athlete.

Known for his outrageous feats of physical exertion, the 28-year-old Brit says he is ready to push himself to the absolute limit in this new range of ‘semi-impossible’ feats, which will span from marathons to 100km races, and 24-hour runs to multi-day expeditions.

Cook’s past efforts have included becoming the first man to run the entire length of Africa, running from Istanbul to Worthing without a support team in just 68 days, running to every one of England’s matches at the Euro 2024 football tournament in Germany, and also running the full length of New Zealand.

From marathons to multi-day expeditions

Now he is ready to crank things up a notch with a programme that is sure to once again put him to the ultimate test and captivate his millions of fans around the world.

The list includes:

• Running a sub-2:30 at the London Marathon in 2026.
• Running a sub-7:30 in a 100km race.
• Completing a 250km race in 24 hours.
• Qualifying for the Team GB 24-hour team.
• Beating the record for completing the iconic LEJOG (Land’s End to John o’ Groats), which is currently held by Dan Lawson at nine days and 20 hours. 
• Beating the record for completing the TransAmerica Run from San Francisco to New York City, which is currently held by Pete Kostelnick at 42 days, six hours and 30 minutes.
• Completing the longest non-stop run ever, which is thought to currently stand at 581km.

Cook announced the new list of ultra challenges on his YouTube channel in a film embedded below which was recorded while he was taking part in the New York Marathon – a race which has clearly inspired him to mix things up a little with regard to his future feats of endurance. 

In typical ‘Hardest Geezer’ style, he set about trying to complete New York in a time of 2:45, but despite being on target for the first 28km, he then ‘crashed and burnt’, missing out on his target by eight minutes.

Tougher tests to come

It was, however, an experience which he says will fuel the fire for those tougher tests to come.

“I’m using New York as an opportunity to go back to the early days, to the reason I fell in love with running in the first place, to reflect on why we would do it and where this sport is headed next,” he explains. “I really felt like a runner once I’d done my first marathon. I think there’s a certain amount of prestige that comes with completing a marathon. 

“Out of the gate, I was settling into roughly 3:55 per kilometre, and the plan was to hold it all the way. I’ve got bigger goals coming up that will require a faster version of me, and with so few official races under my belt, this is my chance to get a clean read of where my fitness currently sits. 

“The marathon pulls you into the trenches to see what you’re really made of. And weirdly enough, I enjoy that part. Pushing right up to your limit to see what’s actually in there. It’s beautiful to really sit on the edge of what your limit is.” 

Career-defining goals have been set

In the video, he explains how his recent focus has been on running continents and not marathons, with his eyes on Asia to London and the Africa trek. However, his future now looks set to straddle both disciplines, as he starts preparations for seven career-defining goals.

“I really think goal setting is so important for us all that you’ve got to have a plan; otherwise, you’re just kind of like a rabbit in headlights wandering around, hoping that you’ll stumble across your goal at some point,” he says. 

“There’s going to be plenty more marathons. I know I’m going to train really hard for six months. I really want to get quicker. This is just where I’m at right now. I missed the time I wanted, but this has only made me hungrier.” 

And in announcing the tasks that will now shape his next few years of running, he adds: “What I love about these goals is that they feel outrageously ambitious in the same way that Africa did. They kind of feel semi-impossible, which is really motivating to me. 

What Russ has to say about each of his goals…

Phase One: “So phase one is the sub-2:30 marathon. The New York Marathon is basically the baseline test. It’s to see where I’m at right now and how much work I’ve got to put in and how much I’ve got to improve. Next year in London, April 2026, we’re looking to go 2:30.” 

Phase Two: “Two is the sub-7:30 100K. The goal is to get as fast as I can in the marathon, because that is adding gears to my gearbox. That means that when I go back up to ultras, the speeds that used to feel hard will now feel easy, and therefore, it will translate into much better ultra performances.” 

Phases Three and Four: “Level three will be to complete 250km over 24 hours. Getting into that 250km range puts me at the national level. Which takes us nicely into level four, which is making the 24-hour Team GB team.” 

Phase Five: “Five will be right back into my wheelhouse, which is running across countries and breaking the Land’s End to John o’ Groats record, which currently stands at nine days and 20 hours, I believe, by Dan Lawson – a bit of a legend of the game.” 

Phase Six: “Then level six will be bashing up the USA TransAmerica record, which I believe is 42 days.”

Phase Seven: “Finally, or maybe penultimately, I will be trying to break the record for the longest run of all time in one go without stopping. There’s not an official record for that at the moment. There’s a bit of an unofficial claim for 581km, I believe. The longest run ever in one go. The goals are set; now it’s back to the graft.”

One of the most popular ultra-endurance athletes in the sport, Cook is clearly ready to ensure that his name also goes down in history as one of the most decorated, as he seeks yet more records to his name.