MadchesterCity
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Lots of streets to sweep in Africa
Running the length of Africa
- Thread starter MCFC1993
- Start date
Similar thing happened to this guy who trying to do the length of Africa:
As they say on here, it was bound to happen.
SkyBlueFlux
Well-Known Member
Unbelievably, this mad **** is still going. About 170 days in. Videos are still a week or two behind where they are.
So far he's survived multiple illnesses, being held at gunpoint in Angola, getting his support van all but written off and being kidnapped and held hostage in a Congolese village for two whole days (something he isn't talking about as he's clearly traumatised by it).
As the crow flies he is now over half way, but unfortunately he's not actually half way because he has to go round the worst of the Sahara and navigate a lot of west African borders. Currently, they're in Cameroon - a country which is fighting its own separatist insurgency, so they are taking a 'safe' route.
The good news is that all the media attention seems to have garnered him more sponsors and support, and they now have some rugged former military bloke as an escort.
So far he's survived multiple illnesses, being held at gunpoint in Angola, getting his support van all but written off and being kidnapped and held hostage in a Congolese village for two whole days (something he isn't talking about as he's clearly traumatised by it).
As the crow flies he is now over half way, but unfortunately he's not actually half way because he has to go round the worst of the Sahara and navigate a lot of west African borders. Currently, they're in Cameroon - a country which is fighting its own separatist insurgency, so they are taking a 'safe' route.
The good news is that all the media attention seems to have garnered him more sponsors and support, and they now have some rugged former military bloke as an escort.
Streetsweeper
Well-Known Member
This bloke is off his nut. You’ve got to admire his dedication but running through central Africa during the monsoon? That’s mental. The humidity is brutal. Seeing him run through Congo - Brazzaville brought back a lot of memories. I was working in Plateaux province where he is in CB in 2010. That road is new, being stopped by the local cops isn’t. His mate swimming in the river probably has bilharzia now.
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SkyBlueFlux
Well-Known Member
He is still going…
As of last update he’d just entered Benin, where they’ve stopped to pick up more visas.
Up to that point he had run 208 marathons in 214 days. And that includes a lengthy stop to get visas sorted to enter the DRC. The days he’s actually running he’s averaging 50km+ a day, despite carrying injuries and multiple bouts of food poisoning.
The fact he has traveled more than the width of the USA but still has nearly half the distance to go just shows you how crazy big Africa is.
Thought he’d either be dead or given up by now but to his credit he got through the rainforests around the equator, which is no mean feat. He still does have, you know… the Sahara desert to run through.
As of last update he’d just entered Benin, where they’ve stopped to pick up more visas.
Up to that point he had run 208 marathons in 214 days. And that includes a lengthy stop to get visas sorted to enter the DRC. The days he’s actually running he’s averaging 50km+ a day, despite carrying injuries and multiple bouts of food poisoning.
The fact he has traveled more than the width of the USA but still has nearly half the distance to go just shows you how crazy big Africa is.
Thought he’d either be dead or given up by now but to his credit he got through the rainforests around the equator, which is no mean feat. He still does have, you know… the Sahara desert to run through.
SkyBlueFlux
Well-Known Member
This mad **** is actually going to do it.
He is on track to finish on Sunday. Was convinced he would die or get maimed in the effort.
350 days, 16,000km, something like 380 marathons. So, averaging well over a marathon a day for the entire year. He averaged nearly two marathons a day going through the Sahara because visa issues slowed him down at various points.
Naturally, his body is in bits, but he is still alive with the help of two support vehicles and a former para-trooper as an escort. Also raised over half a million for charity so far.
Possibly one of the greatest feats of endurance of all time? I'm not a specialist in ultra marathons but I think the question has to be asked.
He is on track to finish on Sunday. Was convinced he would die or get maimed in the effort.
350 days, 16,000km, something like 380 marathons. So, averaging well over a marathon a day for the entire year. He averaged nearly two marathons a day going through the Sahara because visa issues slowed him down at various points.
Naturally, his body is in bits, but he is still alive with the help of two support vehicles and a former para-trooper as an escort. Also raised over half a million for charity so far.
Possibly one of the greatest feats of endurance of all time? I'm not a specialist in ultra marathons but I think the question has to be asked.
MadchesterCity
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Why didn’t he run through Niger?
SkyBlueFlux
Well-Known Member
A few reasons, firstly logistics. Africa isn't traversable by vehicle in a lot of places. In Nigeria one of the support vehicles had to go by boat to get round some of the roads. A lot of the roads aren't so much roads as they are dirt tracks, sand dunes or mud baths.
Secondly security, I think there's one road going through Niger, and there is currently a military coup happening there. That road is inhabited by juntas and terrorists. They had a similar problem in Cameroon, an ambassador told them they had "three choices" for routes. One went through Boko Haram territory, one went through rebel forces fighting in the civil war, and the final route was "still very dangerous but only because of bandits and kidnappers". They opted for the latter.
He did get kidnapped for 2 days in the Congo and they had to pay a ransom to the tribe that stole him to get him back. They also got robbed at gunpoint in Angola and had to drive back to Namibia and wait about 3 weeks to get his passports/visas back.
When I said I thought he'd die in the effort I was quite serious, this is probably the most foolhardy thing you could dream of attempting to do.
bluethrunthru
Well-Known Member
Done and dusted - great effort - deserves to have raised more that half a million quid to be honest
Hardest Geezer Russ Cook runs the entire length of Africa
The extreme challenge began at South Africa's most southerly point on 22 April, 2023.
www.bbc.co.uk