A British runner concludes his odyssey of traveling through Africa with more than 16,000 km in Tunisia

EFE Tunisia

Tunisia

Updated Sunday, April 7, 2024-9:17 p.m.

The British runner

Russ Cook

arrived this Sunday at

Cape Angela,

in the Tunisian city of

Bizerte,

to conclude the last stage of a unique feat: becoming the first person to run on the African continent

through 16 countries and 16,250 kilometers

, which is equivalent to 385 marathons.

In this final stretch, the 27-year-old was accompanied by dozens of followers, Tunisian but also from the

United Kingdom, Canada

and

Australia,

who covered the last kilometers, some dressed in a fake reddish beard to imitate their idol. Like

Joshua,

originally from

Wales,

who visits the Maghreb country for the first time and has achieved his own personal record, 13 kilometers, to "live this historic event."

"It's a great moment," Cook declared upon his arrival, sitting on a royal throne placed for the occasion, with a daiquiri in his hand, his favorite drink, and an arm around his partner, whom he had not seen since a year ago.

The one known as "Hardest Geezer" (the toughest guy) has broadcast his odyssey through social networks, where nearly a million people follow him, for a total of 352 consecutive days after starting from the South African cape of

Agujas,

the southernmost point of

Africa.

Cook runs with supporters who joined him for the final stage.FETHI BELAIDAFP

The Africa Project is not only a test of physical improvement but an initiative with which it has raised 720,000 euros with crowdfunding for charities such as

Water Aid

, which finances projects for access to drinking water and safe bathrooms, or

Sandblast,

which helps refugees from

Western Sahara.

In his marathon history, the athlete also has the title of being the first to run from Asia to London in 66 days through a dozen countries. Cook not only runs for pleasure or altruism but also for survival since, as he recounts in his videos, he suffered an attempted kidnapping and even a robbery at gunpoint.

However, one of the great obstacles that almost put an end to his adventure has not been crossing jungles, wild forests or deserts but rather the diplomatic obstacles upon his arrival last January at the border between

Mauritania

and

Algeria,

a sensitive area where jihadist groups operate.

Thanks to the help of millions of Internet users who shared his message addressed to the Algerian president,

Abdelmadjid Tebboune,

Cook received a courtesy visa to achieve "the last push" to enter the record book.