‘Hardest Geezer’ Russ Prepare dinner says he ‘would not know something’ about row over whether or not he is the primary to run the size of Africa – as he jokes he ‘must kind this mop out’ after rising a Forrest Gump beard (and provides he is wanting ahead to a Greggs)

‘Hardest Geezer’ Russ Prepare dinner has denied figuring out something in regards to the row over whether or not he is the primary to run the size of Africa after jokes he ‘must kind his mop out’ and is wanting ahead to his first Greggs after finishing his 10,000 mile odyssey.

Talking on Good Morning Britain this morning, the acute marathon runner mentioned: ‘It was fairly overwhelming yesterday there’s so many individuals right here and it is superb to have a lot assist.

‘I had an excellent celebration final night time and wakened a bit frosty, however I am attempting to soak all of it in.

‘The considered not working right now is a bit unusual as a result of that hasn’t been the case for the final 12 months.’

Russ coated round 10,000 miles and crossed 16 nations from South Africa to Tunisia throughout 352 days, finishing the equal of 386 marathons. 

He claimed to be the primary particular person to ever run the size of the African continent, all whereas surviving machete-wielding bandits, meals poisoning and even visa issues. 

However his declare was thrown into query when the World Runners Affiliation (WRA) claimed that considered one of its founders truly deserved the title over Prepare dinner.

When requested in regards to the dispute on Good Morning Britain, Russ denied figuring out something about turning into the primary particular person to run the size of Africa, however mentioned different runners had achieved comparable routes and mentioned ‘kudos to them’ as a result of it’s a tough problem. 

He joked about getting his ‘mop sorted out’ after GMB presenter Kate Garraway in contrast his present look to Forrest Gump and mentioned he was wanting ahead to his first Greggs subsequent Wednesday when he’ll seem within the ITV studio.

He advised GMB presenters Kate Garraway and Ed Balls that it was ‘inevitable’ he would full it, he simply wanted to ‘maintain plugging away one step at a time’. 

Russ survived a gunpoint theft and a kidnapping and eventually handled himself to an extended awaited strawberry daiquiri after crossing the end line in Tunisia yesterday.

The 27-year-old, from Worthing, West Sussex, crossed the border into Tunisia on Thursday night time and eventually reached the end line in Ras Angela, the nation’s most northerly level, at 4.40pm on Sunday afternoon.

As he was embraced by family members and supporters, he put his arms on his head in disbelief earlier than saluting and flexing his muscle tissue on prime of a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

He then walked right down to the ocean and cooled off by taking a dip. ‘I am a bit drained. I am just a little bit drained,’ he admitted as he stood topless within the water. As one man joked ‘let’s get you a strawberry daiquiri, Prepare dinner replied: ‘Yeah, let’s f*** off’. 

The runner has usually joked about having the frozen cocktail as a reward for his epic effort. Talking to Sky Information on the end line, the endurance athlete mentioned: ‘I am fairly drained.’

And the acute athlete was rewarded to for his laborious work moments later, as he was pictured slurping down on a pink-coloured cocktail whereas sat on a white and golden throne together with his girlfriend. 

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Prepare dinner had set off for the final 25 miles sporting a retro England soccer shirt and a bucket hat this morning. He was joined by loyal followers, with some even dressing up as him by sporting pretend ginger beards.

After beginning right now’s final run from a petroleum station in Ghezala, Tunisia, at 10am, he advised Sky Information: ‘Another day, one last push to get this factor achieved.’

He mentioned he had a ‘few tears’ this morning, including: ‘352 days on the highway is a very long time with out seeing household, my girlfriend. My physique is in a variety of ache however I’ve solely obtained sooner or later, I am not about to complain. We will have strawberry daiquiris on the seaside tonight, it is going to be unreal.’

Prepare dinner has raised £685,000 for charity thus far, with greater than £250,000 donated over the past seven days as his loyal following spur him on.

Prepare dinner, who started his outstanding journey at Cape Agulhas, South Africa, in April 2023, says he has turn into the primary particular person to ever run the total size of Africa.

However WRA, which is made up of simply seven members, mentioned that Danish athlete Jesper Olsen achieved the feat in 2010, when he ran 7,949 miles from Taba in Egypt to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa in 434 days as a part of an ultramarathon problem that noticed him run internationally. 

Prepare dinner mentioned that his journey, which was from Africa’s most southern to its most northern level, was 2,113 miles longer than Olsen’s was, however the group was adamant that Olsen was the primary particular person to attain the feat. 

The WRA mentioned that because the size of Africa ‘is calculated at 8,000km [4,971 miles] because the crow flies’, it doesn’t matter that Prepare dinner’s distance was longer.

Not solely has the journey been a testomony of psychological and bodily power, Prepare dinner has additionally been robbed at gunpoint, held hostage and virtually pressured to cease the problem after he was left visaless on the Mauritanian border. 

Initially he had hoped to attain the mega distance in 240 days, however completely different obstacles have delayed his end by round 100 days. 

When he was travelling by way of Angola at round 1800miles into his run, he was set upon by armed thugs.

Prepare dinner claimed his assist van was raided by ‘determined blokes with weapons’ and that the armed males stole his group’s cameras, cell phones and a few passports, in addition to wads of money. 

He added that no person on his crew was damage within the armed hold-up.

Then in August he was ‘kidnapped’ by a gang of males armed with machetes within the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

He documented the ordeal on social media: ‘In an try to search out the boys at a village on the plan B route, I stumbled right into a rural settlement the place the chief advised me I have to give him cash. I had none,’ the runner wrote on day 107.

He added: ‘In order that went down nicely. Fairly quickly I discovered myself surrounded by a lot of sport blokes with machetes. Was escorted out the village into the bush.

‘Emptied my bag to point out I had nothing however a half eaten biscuit. Gave it to them, and ran. Spent the subsequent few hours bushwhacking by way of overgrown jungle paths. Making an attempt to remain off any tracks till I used to be far-off.

‘Made it to the village on the plan B route to search out the highway was additionally impassable for the assist van once more. Exhausted and dehydrated, I began heading again to the final recognized place with satisfactory roads when two blokes pulled up on a motorcycle.

‘They spoke no English however tried to speak I have to include them to get again to my pals.

‘What occurred subsequent was a seven-hour bike experience deeper into the jungle. In my head I assumed this was it. Me. The self proclaimed hardest geezer. About to get held in a Congo gulag earlier than being ripped aside limb by limb and eaten.’

Luckily, Prepare dinner was pushed right into a village and moved right into a hut the place he recalled a gaggle of males clashing over what to do with him and discussing how a lot cash he owed them.

After some backwards and forwards negotiations, he was in a position to contact his group who spent the subsequent few days formulating a rescue plan.

Prepare dinner in the end managed to flee, and regardless of most individuals’s expectation that he would catch the primary flight dwelling, he as an alternative returned again to his begin level that day and ran one other 60km on a brand new route.

Alongside this he has confronted a number of diseases, together with blood in his urine and crippling again ache.

Then in January his complete mission was almost scuppered after he did not get a visa to permit him to enter Algeria.

In a video posted to social media, Prepare dinner mentioned the success of his problem was now depending on Algerian authorities granting him permission to enter.

‘Proper women and boys, now we have a little bit of an issue. We have not been in a position to get visas for Algeria, and if we do not get them, then it is sport over for mission Africa,’ he mentioned.

‘I have been working now for 278 days, coated almost 12,000km (7,456 miles) by way of 13 nations and raised over £140k for charity in my try to turn into the primary particular person ever to run the complete size of Africa

‘However proper now all of that’s completely hanging on whether or not we are able to get permission from Algeria to allow us to cross in by way of this border with Mauritania,’ he mentioned.

‘That is the one choice now we have left so, Algeria, when you’re listening, please attain out to me. Something you want from us please let me know,’ he added, addressing Algerian authorities. ‘It will be an absolute privilege to go to your stunning nation.

‘To everybody following the journey on-line please assist us out by sharing this and serving to us get this seen by the suitable folks in Algeria.’

Tim Loughton, Conservative MP for East Worthing, mentioned he had been despatched Prepare dinner’s video, and supplied to assist by contacting the International Workplace.

‘Russ-have been despatched this and I collect that you’re from East Worthing,’ he mentioned.

‘Are you able to electronic mail me some particulars and we’ll do what we are able to to assist by way of the International Workplace and Algerian Embassy.’

His social marketing campaign labored and the Algerian Embassy mentioned it could grant him a courtesy visa ‘on the spot’, which means he might cross the border.   

The athlete, who’s a self-described former ‘fats lad’ with alcohol and playing points, was launched to lengthy distance working when he entered a half marathon aged 21.

Since then he has gained a status for trying trials of power and endurance – he ran 71 marathons in 66 days from Asia to London in 2019, pulled a Suzuki Alto 26 miles alongside the south coast and was buried alive for per week in 2021.

He’s fundraising for The Working Charity, which helps the psychological well being of younger folks with advanced wants or who’re homeless, and Sandblast which educates folks about Sahrawi tradition. 

You may donate to his trigger right here.