‘Hardest Geezer’ responds to ‘weird controversy’ over who was first to run full length of Africa

Russ Cook‘s achievement, which was completed on Sunday, in running the full length of Africa has rightly made global headlines.

Also known as the ‘Hardest Geezer, Cook covered over 16,000 kilometres over 352 days through 16 different countries.

He overcame an armed robbery, visa issues and health scares as he ran from South Africa’s most southerly point to cross the finish line in Tunisia nearly a year later.

He has so far raised over £700,000 for The Running Charity – which supports young people who are homeless – and Sandblast, a charity providing educational events about Saharawi people.

Was Russ Cook the first to achieve feat?

But it has also been reported, first by the Daily Star (see below), that a tiny international sporting body has called into question whether his claim that he’s the “first person ever to run the entire length of Africa” is strictly accurate.

The World Runners Association (WRA), which comprises just a handful of members, claimed that Denmark’s Jesper Olsen had achieved the feat in 2010 when he ran from Taba in Egypt to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa as part of a longer ‘world run’.

Cook went from south to north in what was a longer route but Phil Essam, the WRA president, said in what appeared to be a press release that was shared on X: “The WRA recognises Mr Jesper Kenn Olsen of Denmark as the first person to have run the full length of Africa. The WRA therefore contests the claim made by British national Mr Russ Cook to be the first person to run the length of Africa.”

And speaking to the UK’s The Telegraph, Olsen himself went a step further as he claimed that two other WRA members – Serge Girard from France and Tony Mangan from Ireland – had also completed the feat.

He is quoted as saying: “Serge Girard in his world run crossed five continents and completed his run without a single day off during the entire run.

“To compare this with Russ Cook’s run through Africa where there were several days off – I think, with all respect – is in itself a bit of a stretch, to compare a half marathon with a marathon.”

But the paper also quote Marie Leautey, another WRA member, who explained: “We really congratulate Russ, we just do not want Jesper’s achievement to be denied.

“We should just get the facts right. We have no problem with him claiming to be the first to run from the most southern [point] to the most northern. But when we read he is the first man to run the entire length of Africa it is just not true.”

‘I haven’t heard anything about it’

Cook himself was asked about the debate when he appeared on Good Morning Britain on Monday.

Presenter Ed Balls said: “There’s this weird controversy going on here in the UK. Some people are saying you were the first Briton, you’ve run the furthest distance ever but apparently some guy 10 years ago did a shorter version but maybe he was the first person to go from the top to the bottom of Africa. What do you make of all that?”

To which Cook replied: “I haven’t heard anything about it to be fair. But there’s plenty of people before me who have done lots of big runs and kudos to all of them because they’re big challenges, so nothing but respect really.”