Britain's 'Hardest Geezer' Russ Cook's Africa Run Contested: Danish Ultrarunner Jesper Kenn Olsen Claims He Finished First in 2010

Russ Cook, a runner from Worthing, West Sussex, completed a 352-day run from South Africa to Tunisia, covering approximately 16,000km (9,941 miles) on foot.

However, his claim to be the first person to run the length of Africa was contested by Jesper Kenn Olsen, a Danish ultrarunner, who finished a similar journey in 2010.

Mr. Olsen, a member of the World Runners Association (WRA), ran from Taba, Egypt to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, covering nearly 13,000km (7,948 miles) in 434 days from December 2008 to March 2010.

He praised another runner, Mr. Cook, for his "incredible achievement," but emphasized the importance of accuracy in record-keeping.

Mr. Olsen stated that while the order of completion may not matter, maintaining the honor of being part of the exclusive WRA group does.

The WRA, which includes seven members who have circumnavigated the world on foot, attempted to contact Mr. Cook to inform him that Mr. Olsen, along with two other members, had completed the challenge before him.

Mr. Olsen is believed to be the fastest of the three.

A runner known as the 'Hardest Geezer' completed a solo run from the southernmost point of South Africa to the northernmost point, covering nearly 4,000 miles and beating the previous record by 82 days.

Jesper Olsen, the previous record holder, learned about the 'Hardest Geezer's' achievement two weeks ago and expressed respect for his accomplishment while also expressing a desire to preserve Olsen's record in ultramarathon history.

Fellow WRA member Marie Leautey echoed this sentiment, praising the 'Hardest Geezer's' achievement while also wanting to acknowledge Olsen's record.

The Women's Running Association (WRA) received criticism for fact-checking Russ Cook's record-breaking run.

Despite the backlash, WRA invites Cook to join their elite group of runners, acknowledging his inspiring achievement.