Charity fundraiser Russ Cook, nicknamed “Hardest Geezer”, has taken on another challenge – this time to Germany to support the England Euro 2024 squad.
The 27-year-old set off from London’s Wembley Stadium on Tuesday in an attempt to reach the western German city of Gelsenkirchen on Sunday – in time to see the England men’s football team in their opening game against Serbia.
After the 352-mile race, Cook will run from city to city following Gareth Southgate and the England team throughout the tournament.
In England’s second game, the team will face Denmark in Frankfurt, approximately 260 kilometers from Gelsenkirchen, on June 20.
“I want to support the boys,” Cook said before the race, adding: “This could be our year, I think we will go all the way.
“I believe in Southgate, I trust the boys, I’m looking forward to seeing everything happen.”
In April, Mr. Cook finished traveling all over Africa after an arduous challenge that took him to 16 countries in just under a year.
During the race – equivalent to 376 marathons – he raised more than £600,000 for two charities.
British travels across Africa
To reach Germany by the end of the week, Cook intends to run between 60 and 80 km a day and will invite those who meet him along the way to participate.
He said: “Maybe we can get a few running around, getting together for games of one and two between games.
“It’s going to be amazing, I’m looking forward to getting there.”
Cook has been sponsored by Sports Direct and retro shirt brand Score Draw and will donate his sponsorship to The Running Charity – which supports young people who are homeless or have complex needs.
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Cook said he will record regular video updates to keep the public updated on his progress.
The race to Germany marks the third ongoing challenge faced by Cook. At age 22, he ran from Asia to England, completing 71 marathons in 66 days.
Before that, he had only run the Brighton Marathon.
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