Key Factors
- Runner Russ Prepare dinner has made historical past operating the size of Africa.
- The 27-year-old began his journey from Cape Agulhas in South Africa final yr.
- His run has raised greater than $1.3 million for charity.
Sore and sandblasted however triumphant, Russ Prepare dinner has reached the northernmost level of Africa, virtually a yr after he set off from its southern tip on a quest to run the size of the continent.
Dozens of supporters gathered on a rocky outcrop beside the Mediterranean in northern Tunisia, cheering on the British charity fundraiser, who has run greater than 16,000 kilometres throughout 16 nations in 352 days.
“I am slightly bit drained,” Prepare dinner stated — seemingly an understatement.
In the midst of his journey the 27-year-old endurance athlete from Worthing in southern England crossed jungle and desert, swerved battle zones and was delayed by theft, harm and visa issues.
Prepare dinner — recognized on social media by his nickname, Hardest Geezer — set off on 22 April 2023 from Cape Agulhas in South Africa, the continent’s southernmost level. He hoped to finish the journey in 240 days, operating the equal of greater than a marathon day by day.
He and his group had cash, passports and tools stolen in a gunpoint theft in Angola. He was briefly halted by again ache in Nigeria. And he was virtually stopped in his tracks by the dearth of a visa to enter Algeria, earlier than diplomatic intervention from the Algerian embassy in Britain managed to safe the required paperwork.
Prepare dinner, who has spoken about how operating helped him take care of his psychological well being struggles, beforehand ran about 3,000km from Istanbul to Worthing in 68 days.
His African run has raised greater than £690,000 ($1.3 million) for the Working Charity, which works with homeless younger folks, and Sandblast, a charity that helps displaced folks from Western Sahara.
“It is fairly exhausting to place into phrases, 352 days on the street, very long time with out seeing household, my girlfriend,” Prepare dinner advised Sky Information as he began operating Sunday, accompanied by supporters who’d come from far and vast to run the ultimate stretch with him.
“My physique is in loads of ache. However another day, I am not about to complain.”
Russ Prepare dinner celebrated with supporters after arriving on the end line in Tunisia. Supply: AAP / STR
Prepare dinner stated he deliberate to rejoice with a celebration, the place British band Mushy Play was as a result of carry out.
“We’ll have strawberry daiquiris on the seaside tonight,” he stated.
“It should be unreal.”