Go Further & Explore More...
Although his claims to be the first person to run the length of Africa may be disputed, what absolutely cannot be taken away from Russ Cook is the sheer scale of his incredible achievement. Running over 10,000 miles in 352 days from the most Southerly point of the continent to the most Northerly, finishing on a beach in Tunisia. Madness. Along the way, he also managed to raise money for charity and be an inspiration to many (like me) following along with his journey via social media. Disputed or not, surmounting such a challenge should be rightly celebrated…
"The greater the difficulty, the greater the glory in surmounting it.”
Alexander the Great
Read more on Russ Cook’s journey and adventures below, including how he had to deal with armed robbery, illness and visa complications along the way. If you want to emulate his achievements, then read up on various ultra-endurance challenges and how they are redefining fitness. Maybe you are looking to spice up your runs and meet some new people. A local run club could be just what you need. Finally, if you are going to go and explore when trail running, you should be primed on navigation skills and techniques…
Until next week, be safe and enjoy the trails...
Russ Cook, aka Hardest Geezer, this week completed an incredible (and possibly a world-first) achievement; running the entire length of Africa. His journey involved pounding out over 10,000 miles, in 16 countries, navigating a few serious incidents and raising over £700k for charity…
Ultra-endurance versions of sports are quickly becoming the new benchmark of fitness (although not as ultra as Russ Cook’s mission above, thankfully!) Whether running, cycling or swimming there are crazy long and challenging versions of each for you to take on…
Do you want to improve your time, meet new like-minded people or maybe just discover some lesser known areas of your home town? If so, scoping out a local running club could be the answer…
You could just run the same route, knowing the twists and turns like the back of your hand, or you could venture out and discover new paths. It’s best to know how to navigate if you decide to get out there…
📸 Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex, England
Each week I update the Kings of the Trail playlist with a new selection – just like trail runs or hikes, you can be sure that it will be a varied and eclectic journey, but hopefully, there will be something for everyone to enjoy.
The power of social media…I was following Russ Cook’s adventures online and he mentioned he was listening to a new album by this band and was deeply absorbed by it, so I checked it out. This may be a slower tune, but a complex and layered one with some great vocals about getting out of your comfort zone - if it can keep a man running all day entertained then it must have something about it…
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