The Hardest Geezer who ran the size of Africa

Russell Prepare dinner, the person nicknamed “Hardest Geezer”, has efficiently run the complete size of Africa, crossing the end line in Tunisia after 352 days.

Earlier than he set off on the mammoth problem to run the complete size of Africa, he mentioned he hoped to look again at his life and don’t have any regrets.

The 27-year-old from Worthing, West Sussex, mentioned he had struggled along with his psychological well being, playing and consuming, and wished to “make a distinction”.

After working via 16 international locations, he has raised in extra of £700,000 for charity and has accomplished his remaining run.

As he crossed the end line at about 16:40 BST in Ras Angela, Tunisia, Mr Prepare dinner was greeted by a shouting crowd, with many chanting “geezer”.

“I am fairly drained,” he instructed reporters and in a submit on X, previously referred to as Twitter.

Mr Prepare dinner instructed those that had been following his journey to the end line: “Mission accomplished.”

Rather a lot has modified since Mr Prepare dinner set off from residence in February 2023.

His preliminary plan to run from Tunisia to South Africa, finishing 360 marathons in 240 days with no relaxation days, was quickly halted by a scarcity of an Algerian visa – a hindrance that might later resurface.

However after a last-minute swap, he set off on foot from South Africa’s most southerly level on 22 April – a journey that might take him via cities, rainforests, mountains and the Sahara Desert.

After ticking off South Africa and Namibia in 50 days, Mr Prepare dinner encountered his first main setback – an armed theft.

He and his help workforce had cameras, telephones, money, passports and visas stolen in Angola on 24 June.

Nevertheless, as with many hindrances he would face all through the problem, the ultrarunner vowed to soldier on.

Persistently working greater than a marathon a day started to take its toll.

After some minor tummy troubles within the early weeks, he was pressured to take his first relaxation day after medical doctors discovered blood and protein in his urine on day 45.

However it was recurring again ache that induced probably the most concern.

On day 200, Mr Prepare dinner was pressured to scale back his mileage and depth on the request of a health care provider in Nigeria – even lacking consecutive days on day 205 and 206.

However in true Hardest Geezer type, he was to not be stopped.

He mentioned: “I took a few days to get some scans. No bone injury so figured the one choice left was to cease mincing about like just a little weasel, get the strongest painkillers accessible and zombie stomp highway once more.”

After overcoming every little thing in his path, it was a single piece of paper – an Algerian visa – that solid doubt over the complete problem on day 278.

Mr Prepare dinner was pressured to halt whereas he waited to search out out his destiny as as to whether he may safe permission to cross the border into Algeria from Mauritania.

“If we do not get the visas, then it’s sport over,” he mentioned on the time.

His public enchantment video on X, previously Twitter, was seen by 11 million individuals – even catching the eye of the positioning’s proprietor Elon Musk, in addition to MPs Tim Loughton and Alexander Stafford and the Dwelling Workplace.

The elevated consideration on the problem finally paid off because the UK’s Algerian embassy introduced he would obtain a courtesy visa on the spot.

After the setbacks, all that separated Mr Prepare dinner and the end line was the small process of the Sahara Desert.

The tarmac roads ran out, as did the sign and any indicators of civilisation. However an finish date was set: 7 April, 2024.

Ramping up his mileage to make up for misplaced time, Mr Prepare dinner made the choice to run via the night time because of the intense daytime warmth and sandstorms.

Months was weeks, and weeks was days.

Lastly, on Sunday afternoon, Mr Prepare dinner laced his trainers one final time – a minimum of for now – as he set off for Tunisia’s most northerly level.

Joined by supporters from internationally for the ultimate marathon, Mr Prepare dinner accomplished the problem.

The celebrations will go lengthy into the night time – helped by a ending get together efficiency by British punk band Tender Play, previously Slaves, at a resort in Bizerte.

And the Hardest Geezer will lastly get his palms on the one factor he has been craving since day one – a strawberry daiquiri.

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