‘Hardest Geezer' finishes 2,343km run along length of New Zealand
'Hardest Geezer' Russ Cook, who ran the length of Africa last year, has completed his latest challenge by running the full length of New Zealand.
The 28-year-old from West Sussex ran 2,434km (1,512 miles) in 73 days and crossed the finish line at Cape Reinga, the northern-most point of the North Island on Thursday.
Mr Cook's route, which started at Stirling Point in Bluff at the southern tip of the South Island in March, took him across mountains, native forests, cities and coastlines.
'New Zealand gave me a proper hiding at times; brutal trails, wild weather and more than a few wobbly moments, but it's also one of the most welcoming, stunning places I've ever run through,' Mr Cook said after the run.
'From the mountains to the coast, it's got some serious variety – and the people made it even better.
'I hope everyone that's after a bit of adventure, can come and experience it here.'
Mr Cook faced setbacks including a shin muscle injury but also clocked his fastest ever time for running 100km, taking just 11 hours.
He said he went through seven pairs of shoes, ate hundreds of pies and climbed 'a bucket-load of mountains'.
Mr Cook's adventure was in partnership with 100% Pure New Zealand, a Tourism New Zealand promotion, and allowed him to experience some of the country's visitor attractions including the Milford Sound fiord and a helicopter ride over the tallest peak, Mount Cook/Aoraki.
'The people, the landscapes, the raw beauty, this experience has been nothing short of life-changing' Mr Cook added.
Mr Cook has taken on a number of ambitious challenges over the last few years, including running from Istanbul in Turkey to Worthing in West Sussex in 2019.
He also set a world record in 2020 for the fastest marathon run while pulling a car, in nine hours and 56 minutes.
The endurance athlete has raised more than £1 million for charity from his Africa challenge in which he covered 16,000km, taking some 19 million steps on the journey through 16 countries.
Mr Cook says he plans to continue living adventurously as long as his body allows.
'When I'm older, when the body's keeled over a bit, I expect I'll pick up where I left off,' he said.
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