AW collaboration: Sir Mo Farah shows support for athlete aiming to become first man to run length of Africa

If you’re undertaking a serious challenge on the world’s second-largest and second-most-populous continent, then there aren’t many better people to cheer you on your journey than Sir Mo Farah. That’s exactly what has happened to Russell Cook, a recognisable face from the world of YouTube who is aiming to become the first man to run the full length of Africa.

Cook’s challenge is in its early stages but it has managed to gain a lot of traction so far. Sir Mo Farah, a legendary long-distance runner who has captured the attention of the UK public on numerous occasions after winning major races and being backed by millions when it comes to race predictions and sports betting, is one of many celebrity faces who have shown their support for the Worthing-born runner and his attempt, a journey that initially started on April 22.

Day 32 of running the entire length of Africa. Todays message courtesy of a true icon Sir Mo Farah? pic.twitter.com/Dyvfgtbgrt

— Russ (@hardestgeezer) May 23, 2023

Sir Mo sent a video message 

With serious progress already being made by Cook, Sir Mo Farah was made aware of the remarkable effort that is being put into the challenge. After all, Sir Mo overcame a number of obstacles of his own, with the British athlete’s rise to the top providing a number of celebrated achievements along the way.

Farah’s rise to the very top wasn’t a foregone conclusion. Many critics wrote him off in the early stages of his career but it was the public who loyally backed him. Watchful fans placed their bets on the athlete by making the most of useful tools like a bet calculator to see how much they could win in a flash and gain a clearer understanding of their wagers in the process. His achievements are remarkable, be it at London 2012 when won gold in the Men’s 5000m, or in the array of other iconic races he managed to reign supreme in.

In a video message to Russell Cook, who is also known as the ‘Hardest Geezer’ on YouTube, the most successful British track athlete in modern Olympic Games history said: “I just wanted to say amazing work. I am so proud of you for what you’re doing. It’s incredible. No one can tell you, you can’t because you can. Believe in yourself. Everyone is supporting you. The nation is supporting you.”

Day 32 of running the entire length of Africa. Todays message courtesy of a true icon Sir Mo Farah? pic.twitter.com/Dyvfgtbgrt

— Russ (@hardestgeezer) May 23, 2023

Cook has a long way to go yet 

Although Cook is currently making admirable progress at the time of writing, running through 16 different African countries is a challenge even Sir Mo Farah himself would potentially struggle to accomplish. For Cook, running the equivalent of 360 marathons in 240 days is going to be tough, but after training hard and with a supportive team of people behind him, including Sir Mo, it’s a mission he could certainly accomplish.

A Christmas finish is the aim

The finish line is the most northerly point of Tunisia for Cook, who is currently in Namibia after smashing through South Africa at the start of an almighty challenge that nobody has ever managed to pull off. With a team behind him capturing every kilometre for his growing YouTube channel, Cook’s aim of finishing in time for Christmas is a very real one. Make no mistake about it, with immensely talented athletes like Sir Mo Farah on his side, Russell Cook is a name we could become even more familiar with in the future.