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Hardest Geezer: Mind over Miles
Hardest Geezer, Russ Cook, is the first person to ever run the entire length of Africa. From his starting point in Cape Agulhas, South Africa, through sandstorms in the Sahara Desert, rainforests, mountain ranges and long empty roads stretched out for miles in front of him, Russ ran the equivalent of 386 marathons before finally crossing the finish line in Tunisia 50 weeks later.
Through attempted kidnaps, an armed robbery where he was held at gunpoint, and the gut-wrenching moment when he was denied the right to cross Algeria and whole challenge was left hanging in the balance, Russ never once contemplated giving up. When he crossed the finish line in Ras Angela, he did so with the eyes of the world on him.
Africa may have been his most physical challenge yet but it certainly wasn’t his first. For years, Russ hid from the realities of life by drinking too much and losing himself in the world of online gambling, and it wasn’t until he discovered running and sought out endurance challenges that life took a different turn. He soon learned that you don’t get to avoid the struggle, but you do get to choose it.
Through attempted kidnaps, an armed robbery where he was held at gunpoint, and the gut-wrenching moment when he was denied the right to cross Algeria and whole challenge was left hanging in the balance, Russ never once contemplated giving up. When he crossed the finish line in Ras Angela, he did so with the eyes of the world on him.
Africa may have been his most physical challenge yet but it certainly wasn’t his first. For years, Russ hid from the realities of life by drinking too much and losing himself in the world of online gambling, and it wasn’t until he discovered running and sought out endurance challenges that life took a different turn. He soon learned that you don’t get to avoid the struggle, but you do get to choose it.
304 pages, Paperback
Published October 24, 2024
167 people are currently reading
1030 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 210 reviews
October 21, 2024
This book felt special to me. I had been following Russ' journey on youtube since he was in Namibia and my interest grew so much that I joined him for the last day in Tunisia. I wasn't there when he crossed the finish line, because I was far too slow, but still I enjoyed that time like very few moments of my life. While reading those pages I relived many adventures that I had followed from my computer screen and some in person. There are also many more events, encounters and emotions that he never shared before.
There are so many layers to the book, that it's hard to convey all of them at once. The book is about a physical journey as much as a mental one. Russ had a mission: running. However he had to deal with so many hardships that he was never truly free of doing just that. There was just too much at stake and we can truly understand how big of a burden he was carrying on his shoulder.
In the years before the mission, Russ felt lost. Running offered him a way out and he managed to build an incredible mission upon it: being the first person to run from the southernmost to the northermost point of the african continent. That is quite an achievement. At the beginning of the mission the luck of funding was the greatest issue to deal with. As he progressed, he had to face food poisoning, injury, being robbed and kidnapped. That didn't stop him. It only made him realize that it would take much more to force him to give up.
The crew and Emily, his girlfriend (who he saw only at the end of the mission) are an integral part of the story. We clearly don't have their point of view, but we can easily grasp that their support was unshakable and allowed Russ to keep going.
Every country he stepped in was different, as well as the reception by the local people. He never let preconceptions get in the way and, although he had to deal with a lot of troubles, he also met so many wonderful people that you can truly feel his appreciation for them.
I was genuinely emotional reading the last few pages. When he saw his mum, his dad and his girlfriend, that's when he could finally tell himself that he had succeded. That was the greastest satisfaction of all and, in spite of the frenzy, the amount of cheering people and of cameras, that moment was just for him. However all of us, we can share the joy with him and truly realize what sort of achievement he gained.
I can only be greateful to Russ. His mission and his words are so inspiring. Even though you didn't follow his journey or know who he is, you should read this book. I'm pretty confident it will give you the chance to see many things under a different light and, maybe, just maybe, inspire you to do something you never thought you could.
There are so many layers to the book, that it's hard to convey all of them at once. The book is about a physical journey as much as a mental one. Russ had a mission: running. However he had to deal with so many hardships that he was never truly free of doing just that. There was just too much at stake and we can truly understand how big of a burden he was carrying on his shoulder.
In the years before the mission, Russ felt lost. Running offered him a way out and he managed to build an incredible mission upon it: being the first person to run from the southernmost to the northermost point of the african continent. That is quite an achievement. At the beginning of the mission the luck of funding was the greatest issue to deal with. As he progressed, he had to face food poisoning, injury, being robbed and kidnapped. That didn't stop him. It only made him realize that it would take much more to force him to give up.
The crew and Emily, his girlfriend (who he saw only at the end of the mission) are an integral part of the story. We clearly don't have their point of view, but we can easily grasp that their support was unshakable and allowed Russ to keep going.
Every country he stepped in was different, as well as the reception by the local people. He never let preconceptions get in the way and, although he had to deal with a lot of troubles, he also met so many wonderful people that you can truly feel his appreciation for them.
I was genuinely emotional reading the last few pages. When he saw his mum, his dad and his girlfriend, that's when he could finally tell himself that he had succeded. That was the greastest satisfaction of all and, in spite of the frenzy, the amount of cheering people and of cameras, that moment was just for him. However all of us, we can share the joy with him and truly realize what sort of achievement he gained.
I can only be greateful to Russ. His mission and his words are so inspiring. Even though you didn't follow his journey or know who he is, you should read this book. I'm pretty confident it will give you the chance to see many things under a different light and, maybe, just maybe, inspire you to do something you never thought you could.
October 31, 2024
Enjoyable enough, but despite Russ Cook's incredibly impressive feat, this book offers a rather disappointing reading experience. The narrative feels pretty truncated with key details either glossed over or omitted entirely. This approach seems intentional so as to appeal more broadly to a readership that doesn't actually read. Ultimately though, I don't know if Russ actually has much to say. Don't expect much depth and nuance if you pick it up.
October 27, 2024
I followed along with Project Africa on YouTube as Russ Cook ran the length of Africa, but I didn't know much about him as an individual or the complexities of the challenge itself. An inspiring read which has made me think differently of how I view running.
The only reason I didn't rate this higher is because I felt as though some of the insight provided was a little bit simplistic & could have been deepened
The only reason I didn't rate this higher is because I felt as though some of the insight provided was a little bit simplistic & could have been deepened
February 22, 2025
Mixed feelings here. It was a good read for me as I followed the mission quite closely, but I did assume whilst reading that it may have been ghost written and then the acknowledgments confirmed it. This sort of took some of the magic away. I’m aware it still Russ’s story, but I feel it lacks his charm.
A nice short change of pace though and really puts my life and sometimes dreadful excuses for not doing things into perspective.
A nice short change of pace though and really puts my life and sometimes dreadful excuses for not doing things into perspective.
June 12, 2025
He might say "It soon became apparent, however" a bit too much, but this was a riveting read! Having never seen any of the social media hype from back when Russ Cook was attempting to run the length of Africa, this was a great retelling that was more than a little inspirational. It makes you question the limits of your own ability, or if we really have any limits. It also made me realize how little we know in the West about the continent of Africa, which will definitely inform my next choice of book. He only runs through a handful of countries in the grand scheme, but it painted a colourful picture of the varied natural and political landscapes. Russ goes on a physical and mental journey and it's hard to not be impressed by his pure grit, especially in some of the more dangerous situations he finds himself in. You'll find yourself cheering him on as the miles grow longer. It was what you'd expect the book to be, but it truly delivered.
December 18, 2024
(Edited to better reflect my admiration for Russell Cook’s achievement!).
A five-star achievement, but for me - and perhaps for me alone - a two-star book (through no fault of the author).
Obviously, running the entire length of Africa is a five star achievement. Even if Mr Geezer had been one of the world’s top endurance runners and he had had a professional support team, it would still have been mind boggling. But he is not a top runner of any description, and his team were more like (new) friends who wanted to be part of something amazing (for which they had little relevant experience). This was just a group of people exceeding themselves to the umpteenth degree.
In terms of the book, it would be impossible to capture in words the scale of the achievement and the degree of suffering endured. You either fail by describing everything, or you fail by trying to make the book a normal length. The book fails in the latter way. Personally, I wish they had produced a huge coffee-table book full of pictures and maps, but instead we get the standard 200+ pages with some pictures (which I am sure most people prefer).
However, brevity is not why I gave the book two-stars. I gave it two stars because (a) it reflects accurately how dangerous and miserable it is to be a stranger in any west African country in the 21st century (obviously that’s not the fault of the author, but…), and (b) it tried to blame all this on ‘colonialism’ (thus absolving the bad guys of any responsibility for their chosen lives of r**e, murder, extortion, robbery, theft and corruption). My father was born and bred in west Africa and I know how people of all races and creeds despair of westerners saying their lives under siege from criminals are all down to history, thus guaranteeing that nothings gets done to stop it. To me, it is very noticeable that the words used to described colonialism and slavery in the book are obviously the words of someone other than Russ’s, though Russ does make some immediate, genuine and apposite observations on the poverty that he sees on his travels. As the book is published by Dragon’s Den grifter Stephen Bartlett, it may have been him or a ‘sensitivity reader’ employed by him (the woke, modern version of an editor) that wrote these sections. For the reality is that Russ and his team were harassed, threatened, extorted, and robbed every step of the way, just for looking like visitors (and therefore, targets). Russ even escaped what looked like a planned execution by a village ‘chief’, only to be kidnapped and held for ransom by those who ‘saved’ him. And those doing the robbing are not just dangerous street thieves, but corrupt policeman (corrupt police play a big role in the book). For me this made reading the book a chore when it should have been a pleasure. Can readers do anything about this state of affairs in our most beautiful continent? I think they can, but they will need to educate themselves properly (through people that live there, not through upper-middle class people who live in west London) and decide what they can do to help. Every little helps after all. If Russ was to inspire such campaigns then the book would have been a bigger success than he could ever have imagined.
A five-star achievement, but for me - and perhaps for me alone - a two-star book (through no fault of the author).
Obviously, running the entire length of Africa is a five star achievement. Even if Mr Geezer had been one of the world’s top endurance runners and he had had a professional support team, it would still have been mind boggling. But he is not a top runner of any description, and his team were more like (new) friends who wanted to be part of something amazing (for which they had little relevant experience). This was just a group of people exceeding themselves to the umpteenth degree.
In terms of the book, it would be impossible to capture in words the scale of the achievement and the degree of suffering endured. You either fail by describing everything, or you fail by trying to make the book a normal length. The book fails in the latter way. Personally, I wish they had produced a huge coffee-table book full of pictures and maps, but instead we get the standard 200+ pages with some pictures (which I am sure most people prefer).
However, brevity is not why I gave the book two-stars. I gave it two stars because (a) it reflects accurately how dangerous and miserable it is to be a stranger in any west African country in the 21st century (obviously that’s not the fault of the author, but…), and (b) it tried to blame all this on ‘colonialism’ (thus absolving the bad guys of any responsibility for their chosen lives of r**e, murder, extortion, robbery, theft and corruption). My father was born and bred in west Africa and I know how people of all races and creeds despair of westerners saying their lives under siege from criminals are all down to history, thus guaranteeing that nothings gets done to stop it. To me, it is very noticeable that the words used to described colonialism and slavery in the book are obviously the words of someone other than Russ’s, though Russ does make some immediate, genuine and apposite observations on the poverty that he sees on his travels. As the book is published by Dragon’s Den grifter Stephen Bartlett, it may have been him or a ‘sensitivity reader’ employed by him (the woke, modern version of an editor) that wrote these sections. For the reality is that Russ and his team were harassed, threatened, extorted, and robbed every step of the way, just for looking like visitors (and therefore, targets). Russ even escaped what looked like a planned execution by a village ‘chief’, only to be kidnapped and held for ransom by those who ‘saved’ him. And those doing the robbing are not just dangerous street thieves, but corrupt policeman (corrupt police play a big role in the book). For me this made reading the book a chore when it should have been a pleasure. Can readers do anything about this state of affairs in our most beautiful continent? I think they can, but they will need to educate themselves properly (through people that live there, not through upper-middle class people who live in west London) and decide what they can do to help. Every little helps after all. If Russ was to inspire such campaigns then the book would have been a bigger success than he could ever have imagined.
December 28, 2024
Enjoyable quick read. Large book and text make it easy to work your way through the pages.
Incredible story but the book felt very surface level and a bit rushed to publish. Some deeper insights/reflection would have made for a more engaging read. It feels like this book was written on a short deadline and without giving Russ’ mind a chance to take in what he accomplished and experienced over the course of the year.
Some interesting insights into the importance of travel, community and exposure to cultures but only really touched upon.
As a runner myself, I’m in awe of the athletic feat but can’t help but feel like the book is not worthy of the accomplishment or the mental resilience shown.
Incredible story but the book felt very surface level and a bit rushed to publish. Some deeper insights/reflection would have made for a more engaging read. It feels like this book was written on a short deadline and without giving Russ’ mind a chance to take in what he accomplished and experienced over the course of the year.
Some interesting insights into the importance of travel, community and exposure to cultures but only really touched upon.
As a runner myself, I’m in awe of the athletic feat but can’t help but feel like the book is not worthy of the accomplishment or the mental resilience shown.
November 28, 2024
I’m heavily biased because I spent a year obsessing with this mission and eagerly waiting for every new video from the crew. It is insanely motivating and I love it - the mission, the videos, the book, the people and the stories.
I was wondering how Russ would structure the book and what parts he would write about. I still enjoyed the videos more, simply because you can fit so much more into them than into one book and because they meant a lot to me for a whole year. But I just have to give this 5/5 anyway. Running across the Africa deserves it🫡
I was wondering how Russ would structure the book and what parts he would write about. I still enjoyed the videos more, simply because you can fit so much more into them than into one book and because they meant a lot to me for a whole year. But I just have to give this 5/5 anyway. Running across the Africa deserves it🫡
January 19, 2025
Outrageous achievement. Really accessible read. Great lessons in the strength of community and the power of the mind in overcoming challenges.
September 24, 2025
Gestoord verhaal over de eerste persoon die de hele lengte van Afrika gelopen heeft.
Het is geschreven in de stijl waarop Russ Cook in zijn video's praat, maar op een serieuzere toon. Het is geen literair meesterwerk, maar daar gaat het ook niet om in dit boek.
Absoluut een aanrader als je graag verhalen over straffe prestaties leest!
Het is geschreven in de stijl waarop Russ Cook in zijn video's praat, maar op een serieuzere toon. Het is geen literair meesterwerk, maar daar gaat het ook niet om in dit boek.
Absoluut een aanrader als je graag verhalen over straffe prestaties leest!
November 17, 2024
Great book! Randomly had so much in common, being local such as Worthing Unitrd and Worthing Dynamos football, both being prison officers, training for marathons on the prom and being ginger!! Nice to read about his grandad who I met a few times when we were both having chemo, such a nice man, VERY proud of Russ, didn't stop talking about him. Book very interesting and enlightening. Can't believe I had never heard about him doing a marathon on the prom pulling the car though!
January 6, 2025
A good read about an incredible adventure.
October 29, 2025
What a GUY 👏
November 17, 2024
Such an inspiring story, that beautifully shows the impact an adventure can have.
April 6, 2025
Truly inspirational. Not a literary read, but a must read.
January 18, 2025
I've been following Russ for over a year now so I didn't hesitate picking up this book. Especially so because he was also a part of my motivation to start running.
The book focused quite a lot on pre Africa Russ, and his transformation into a runner and how that move changed his mindset completely. Doing crazier and crazier challenges until he wagered his team could conquer Africa with some help on the logistics side.
The book focused quite a lot on pre Africa Russ, and his transformation into a runner and how that move changed his mindset completely. Doing crazier and crazier challenges until he wagered his team could conquer Africa with some help on the logistics side.
January 3, 2025
As I already followed Project Africa on YouTube, I didn't think there was many new things to learn from this book, but I was pleasantly surprised. I particularly appreciated the brutally honest dive into author's childhood and early adulthood years, I can imagine it would be very tempting to gloss over some events or try to paint yourself in a better light, and I commend Russ for not doing that (as far as the reader can tell, anyway). In particular, I think it is important how it describes the young man's search for a model for how to be a (manly) man nowadays, when there are (in his words) so many conflicting messages about masculinity. I think this represents very well a worrying problem in today's society where young men find themselves short of good role models, and consequently find themselves listening to all sorts of backwards online figures. But anyways, Africa! I thoroughly enjoyed the recap of the journey, especially the honest insight into the group dynamics and the story of the events in the DRC. Despite reading this and watching all the videos, it is still completely impossible for me to even begin to imagine how such a fantastic feat of endurance, grit and determination was ever achieved. Hats off, Russ, for showing us how far from our everyday lives the real limits of human spirit and strength lie.
January 21, 2025
„Hardest Geezer“ is the written account of Russ Cook‘s immense and astonishing accomplishment of running from the most southern point of the African continent to its most northern. The book offers some intriguing insights into Cook’s early life as well as into his thoughts and mental health during the African odyssey. I starkly appreciated the authenticity of the words in his work, as you can actually feel that Cook contributed massively to the writing itself, which I think makes it more interesting to read than if a professional author had been in control of the writing instead. I greatly enjoyed the bits where he started describing how the people in the distinct countries reacted to his presence, while trying to compare the vibes between the different countries. Also, the book is inspiring if one is interested in running or in challenging themselves, as it illustrates how much a human body (and mind) can endure and to what we as species are physically/mentally capable of. Ultimately, Cook’s achievement is colossal.
I rate the book only 4/5 as in some parts it felt way to rushed, especially towards the end. To me it felt as if they had a word/page limit and only realised when approaching the end of the book. Hence, I missed a more detailed narrative in the last parts. In sum, I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes inspiring stories and adventurous endeavours.
I rate the book only 4/5 as in some parts it felt way to rushed, especially towards the end. To me it felt as if they had a word/page limit and only realised when approaching the end of the book. Hence, I missed a more detailed narrative in the last parts. In sum, I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes inspiring stories and adventurous endeavours.
October 28, 2025
“Všetci máme výzvy, ktoré musíme prekonať. Niektoré si vyberáme, iné nie. No jediný spôsob, ako ich prekonať, je rozbehnúť sa priamo proti vetru a stále napredovať. Krok za krokom...” str. 265
Milujem beh, s čítaním sú to moje dve najobľúbenejšie voľnočasové aktivity. Preto som nemohla vynechať tohtoročnú novinku z vydavateľstva DOT.
“Najtvrdší týpek” je kniha nielen o behu. Je to Russova spoveď, istá forma terapie. Tak ako samotná výzva prebehnúť Afriku, tak aj jej spísanie na papier má hlbší zmysel. Dozvedáme sa čo-to o pozadí Russovho života, o jeho detstve, čo ho viedlo zdolávať extrémne výzvy. Kým derie asfalt, skúma svoje vnútro aj svoje životné smerovanie. Hodnotí silné i slabé stránky svojej osobnosti, schopnosť pracovať v tíme, v krízových situáciách. Núka nám vlastný pohľad na viaceré africké krajiny, ich fungovanie, kultúru, načrtáva trochu z ich historického pozadia, čo ovplyvňuje, ako ho vnímajú ľudia, ktorých behom stretáva.
Knihu som čítala jedným dychom. Napriek tomu, že autor nie je spisovateľ, je napísaná pútavo. Verne opisuje svoje zážitky, pocity, myšlienky i následné zamyslenia a spätné zhodnotenie niektorých situácií. Držím v rukách autobiografiu muža na ceste životom, ktorý hľadá viac, ako len prežívanie z dňa na deň.
Na záver sem vsuniem malú technickú poznámku. “Carbohydrates” by bolo vhodnejšie preložiť ako sacharidy než uhľovodíky. Dnes sa už tento pojem vo výžive nepoužíva.
Milujem beh, s čítaním sú to moje dve najobľúbenejšie voľnočasové aktivity. Preto som nemohla vynechať tohtoročnú novinku z vydavateľstva DOT.
“Najtvrdší týpek” je kniha nielen o behu. Je to Russova spoveď, istá forma terapie. Tak ako samotná výzva prebehnúť Afriku, tak aj jej spísanie na papier má hlbší zmysel. Dozvedáme sa čo-to o pozadí Russovho života, o jeho detstve, čo ho viedlo zdolávať extrémne výzvy. Kým derie asfalt, skúma svoje vnútro aj svoje životné smerovanie. Hodnotí silné i slabé stránky svojej osobnosti, schopnosť pracovať v tíme, v krízových situáciách. Núka nám vlastný pohľad na viaceré africké krajiny, ich fungovanie, kultúru, načrtáva trochu z ich historického pozadia, čo ovplyvňuje, ako ho vnímajú ľudia, ktorých behom stretáva.
Knihu som čítala jedným dychom. Napriek tomu, že autor nie je spisovateľ, je napísaná pútavo. Verne opisuje svoje zážitky, pocity, myšlienky i následné zamyslenia a spätné zhodnotenie niektorých situácií. Držím v rukách autobiografiu muža na ceste životom, ktorý hľadá viac, ako len prežívanie z dňa na deň.
Na záver sem vsuniem malú technickú poznámku. “Carbohydrates” by bolo vhodnejšie preložiť ako sacharidy než uhľovodíky. Dnes sa už tento pojem vo výžive nepoužíva.
October 26, 2024
I've been following the Hardest Geezer for a while and silently cheering him on, on the sidelines of course. Whilst I found some of the details are skipped, omitted and sometimes skimmed a little too lightly for my liking (in comparison to the videos we all watched and enjoyed). I think the detail is enough for this book.
The views, thoughts and experiences he encounters on his journey from one tip of Africa to the other are adventurous to say the least. They remind me of some of my own adventures and thoughts I've had about the continent. Every person in this world (not just in Africa) is like any other. I particularly liked his thoughts about what the "developed world" could learn from Africa and vice versa.
He wonderfully highlights that any journey, especially ones of this magnitude and length are not an easy undertaking. There will always be lows, there will always be highs, but really it's the stories and the people you meet along the way that are what make the journey worth it. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone!
The views, thoughts and experiences he encounters on his journey from one tip of Africa to the other are adventurous to say the least. They remind me of some of my own adventures and thoughts I've had about the continent. Every person in this world (not just in Africa) is like any other. I particularly liked his thoughts about what the "developed world" could learn from Africa and vice versa.
He wonderfully highlights that any journey, especially ones of this magnitude and length are not an easy undertaking. There will always be lows, there will always be highs, but really it's the stories and the people you meet along the way that are what make the journey worth it. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone!
January 14, 2025
One third biography, two thirds an account of an incomprehensible feat of human endurance, Russ Cook (aka: Hardest Geezer) provides a sometimes hilarious and often vulnerable insight into his personality and experiences (both the good and the bad) all of which make for super easy, entertaining reading.
However, having followed project Africa whilst it was ongoing, my only qualm is that whilst reading it felt like key details and moments were either glossed over and briefly mentioned or in some instances completely missing. I don’t know what this is down to and whilst it would have been nice for the book to have been slightly longer and have a bit more detail - it didn’t dampen my enjoyment horrifically.
4.5* rounded down to 4*
However, having followed project Africa whilst it was ongoing, my only qualm is that whilst reading it felt like key details and moments were either glossed over and briefly mentioned or in some instances completely missing. I don’t know what this is down to and whilst it would have been nice for the book to have been slightly longer and have a bit more detail - it didn’t dampen my enjoyment horrifically.
4.5* rounded down to 4*
January 6, 2025
Russ Cook is my hero. I watched him cross Africa while I was recovering from surgery walking on my walking pad in my living room in 2024. His relentless dedication to pursuing his goal brings me to tears at the shear monumental accomplishment he was able to put his body through. We were so inspired by Russ that we named our converted Ford Transit camper van Shelly (the Florida version of his big blue bus that carried him and the team across the continent, Nelly). The book was amazing. I can’t wait to go back and watch the series on YouTube now knowing the details from the book. I’m sure this will be a book I read over and over again! I also purchased the special signed copy and I am so grateful to have that as I followed his journey so closely!
November 21, 2025
I am just left asking ‘why?’
Don’t get me wrong, I understand and appreciate the mental and physical stamina involved in this journey but it just felt reckless and dangerous for no point.
No clue, no plan, just a bloke who wants to run through Africa, with a few people tagging along, funded by sponsors, with run down vans and vehicles that were constant problems, chucked on YouTube for what?
I just feel like having a reliable support vehicle would’ve been the first step.
And wouldn’t it have been nice to do this for a non selfish reason - raising awareness and money for something other than one’s self.
Just a selfish journey.
But undeniably an admirable physical feat.
Reckless geezer.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand and appreciate the mental and physical stamina involved in this journey but it just felt reckless and dangerous for no point.
No clue, no plan, just a bloke who wants to run through Africa, with a few people tagging along, funded by sponsors, with run down vans and vehicles that were constant problems, chucked on YouTube for what?
I just feel like having a reliable support vehicle would’ve been the first step.
And wouldn’t it have been nice to do this for a non selfish reason - raising awareness and money for something other than one’s self.
Just a selfish journey.
But undeniably an admirable physical feat.
Reckless geezer.
July 8, 2025
What a story! This is about endurance in all its forms. A fantastic reminder to keep searching for our physical edges at one level, but also a reminder that connection and community are so vital and often overlooked in 'increasingly connected' society. This isn't just about what we learn about ourselves when we face the impossible, it's about what different cultures can teach us about what matters in life.
January 13, 2025
Wow! One of the best books I’ve ever read, what an incredible story! As soon as I started reading this, I couldn’t put it down! I remember following Hardest geezer on instagram and YouTube all throughout his journey and couldn’t wait to read all about it! Russ has just showed us that anything is possible and has inspired me to think in the same way.
November 24, 2025
I started following Russ along his run of Africa on Instagram somewhere in the middle of his journey. Russ is a runner/athlete and not an author but that doesn’t stop him from weaving in greater themes of mental health, persistence, and personal growth. Russ decided to take control of his life, complete an amazing feat, and inspire along the way
November 17, 2024
Everyone who cares even the slightest about challenging yourself physically or mentally needs to pick this up. They also need to watch his YouTube series on him running across the entire length of Africa.
February 1, 2025
This is not only an overview of Project Africa, it is an amazing, motivational life story about a geezer who has only one rule - tackle everything straight into the headwinds and keep moving forwards. Such an inspirational book, 5 stars!
June 24, 2025
Never have I picked up a book and been so addicted to it from the first page. As someone who only started my running journey back in 2020, I was fascinated by his trials and tribulations on his epic run throughout Africa. An epic read!
November 6, 2024
Really enjoyed this book. Bought the audiobook and loved hearing Russ tell his story. As I’m from Worthing and a keen runner I had been following Russ’s journey near enough from the start. Am still in absolute awe of what he achieved. Would definitely recommend it!
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