Russ Cook Keynote Speaker

Russ Cook, better known as the “Hardest Geezer,” is a British athlete and the first person to run the entire length of Africa from the southernmost to the northernmost point of the continent.

His journey, named Project Africa, began on 22nd April 2023 in Cape Town in South Africa and ended on 7th April 2024 in Ras Angela in Tunisia. During this time, Russ crossed 16 countries and covered a total of 16,000 km (9,900 miles). The journey was not without its challenges with Russ experiencing everything from kidnap and robbery to food poisoning along the way.

Russ has been open about his mental health struggles in the past and Project Africa was not only a personal achievement but also to raise money for two charities – The Running Charity and Sandblast.

The Running Charity is a charity which harnesses the power of running to help people experiencing homelessness or managing complex needs. Sandblast is a charity providing educational events about Saharawi people and culture through the arts in the UK and creative and skills development projects in the Saharawi refugee camps to promote talent, knowledge, self-reliance and support links.

Project Africa became a global sensation towards the end with media outlets across the world covering the story. Two weeks after he completed the journey, Russ was invited by the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, for a run around Westminster.

Project Africa was not Russ’s first endeavour. In 2019, he ran from Istanbul to England in 68 days with no support team and in 2020, he set the world record for the fastest marathon whilst pulling a car in 9hrs 56 mins. In 2021, he was buried alive for 7 days with just 20 litres of water.

Russ’s grit and resilience are entirely unique and he hopes to inspire young people to get involved in similar sporting challenges!