British ultramarathon runner Russ Cook arrived at Tunisia's most northerly point on Sunday, completing his 352-day mission to run the length of the African continent.
After almost 12 months navigating health scares, sandstorms, visa issues and even an armed robbery, Cook, known on social media as the "Hardest Geezer," completed his challenge and raised more than £690,000 ($872,022) for charity.
Cook set off from South Africa's Cape Agulhas -- the southernmost point of Africa -- on April 22, 2023. He had initially aimed to cover 9,320 miles during the challenge, crossing 16 borders, but he extended the mission due to a multitude of complications.
On Sunday, after bringing his total distance to more than 10,190 miles (16,400 km), he reached Ras Ben Sakka in Tunisia -- the continent's northernmost point.
After crossing the finish line, Cook embraced his family and friends before taking a dip in the Mediterranean Sea, from where he told Sky News: "It was good, I'm a bit tired."
Cook has said he is the first person to run the length of Africa, although Guinness World Records did not certify his attempt. Other runners have previously made similar attempts. In 1998, Nicholas Bourne from Britain ran from South Africa to Cairo in 318 days from January 1998 to December 1998, raising £1 million for charity.
Cook's challenge began with a 50.6-km run in South Africa. Afterward, he wrote in a post on Instagram: "Tougher days are yet to come of course, and they will be the toughest I've ever faced, no doubt. I'm ready to attack them all."
His instinct would be proved right. His journey took him through several countries on Africa's western coast, including Namibia, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania and Algeria.
On Day 20, severe dehydration forced him to stop, delirious, on the side of the road in the Namib Desert. On Day 64, Cook and his team were approached by two armed men in Angola and had cameras, phones, cash and three passports stolen.
"One of the reasons why I wanted to run the length of Africa is because no one has ever done it before, and now we are finding out why," he said after the incident.
A host of other issues continued after that: Cook lost contact with his team a jungle in the Democratic Republic of Congo, although they were later reunited. He also battled numerous injuries throughout -- most notably a nagging back issue that forced him to get an X-ray in Benin City, Nigeria, as well as a few bouts of food poisoning over the course of the challenge. Visa issues entering Algeria also threatened to end the challenge.
The final months saw him run across the Sahara Desert, where he often wore goggles to combat sandstorms.
All the while, Cook shared his journey via YouTube, X and Instagram, where he documented the issues he faced as well as the beauty of the African continent as he traversed deserts, rainforests, savannahs, jungles and cities.
He also highlighted the kindness of local people, some of whom joined him on sections of his run.
"Have met some really inspiring people over the last few days and pondered many of life's big questions," Cook wrote in an Instagram post as he crossed from Guinea into Senegal.
"When I started this mission I was hoping that throughout the course of such a long adventure maybe I would discover more answers to these questions, but honestly I just have more questions. Life is complicated. Tarmac isn't. Time to go cave it in."
Cook, who is from Worthing on England's south coast, raised money for two causes: The Running Charity, which uses running and fitness to support young people who are experiencing homelessness, and Sandblast Ltd, which educates people about Sahrawi culture.
Part of Cook's motivation for the challenge was to raise mental health awareness.
Running the length of Africa's was only Cook's latest challenge. He previously completed 71 marathons in 66 days as he ran from Istanbul to London in 2019, raising £3,000 for charity.