British ultrarunner Russ Cook finished the final leg of his journey — a more than 10,000-mile trek — on Sunday to become the first man to run the entire length of Africa.
In addition to challenging himself, Cook ran to raise money for multiple charities, including The Running Charity to fight homelessness and Sandblast, which promotes Saharawi people through the arts. Between the time he started on April 22, 2023, and finished on April 7, he's raised almost $1 million.
During his trip, the 27-year-old crossed 16 countries, starting at the southern tip and running up the east coast. He reportedly suffered injuries, endured heat, dodged conflicts, navigated both terrain and government bureaucracies, and even got robbed at gunpoint.
When asked about the challenge, Russ told reporters: "It's quite hard to put it into words - it's been 352 days on the road - a long time without seeing family and my girlfriend. I've been quite obviously in a lot of pain, but one more day, I ain't about to complain."
As for what people took away from his run, Russ said he hoped people realize that "we get one chance at life. Go and have a stab at it."
What's next for the runner, he shared his short-term goals: "We're going to have strawberry daiquiris on the beach tonight. It's going to be unreal."
