runABC has been following the exploits of Russ Cook, AKA the Hardest Geezer, with a mixture of respect and utter horror at times as he pushes the boundaries of human physical capability.

Last year, Russ raised over £1,000,000 for two charities – the Running Charity and Sandblast – by running the length of Africa. During his most alarming odyssey to date, as reported by runABC, he endured border crossing delays, suffered food poisoning, handled extreme weather conditions and even survived an armed robbery!

This year's adventure was expected to be physically challenging – 1,553 miles in 73 days, with the equivalent of 10 Mount Everests in elevation gained – but considerably safer than #Project Africa (which lasted a gruelling 352 days).

The Te Araroa Trail runs from the Southernmost tip of New Zealand at Stirling Point, Bluff, to Cape Reinga Lighthouse in Northland, or the North Island. The Long Pathway, as the trail's name translates, opened in 2011 and is described as a 'tapestry of diverse landscapes', with a suggested duration of five months to complete the walk...not 73 days!

On Friday, 23 May 2025, Russ Cook posted this on his Instagram account: “Today I finished running the length of New Zealand. 73 days. 2,500+ kilometres. 7 pairs of shoes. 100’s of pies. And a bucket load of mountains! We took a few dings on the way through, but made it out the other side. Running the length of New Zealand…completed it, mate. Massive thank you to the people of this country, your kindness, hospitality, and mad scenery made this one unforgettable. We did it, boys. What a ride. Back to training.”

Among those 'dings' he took was a painful right shin injury shared with his followers: “I have been injured for the best part of a month,” he said. “Right lower leg is quite painful. Every day, I wake up in a decent amount of pain. I can’t put any pressure on my leg. But I get my head out of the door, get a little hobble on and that hobble turns into a bit of a walk and that walk becomes an intermittent light jog and by the end of the day I am back cruising, smashing it up.”

New Zealand is the 28th country the 28-year-old endurance athlete from Worthing, Sussex, has run through during his extraordinary endurance challenges. In 2020, Russ set a world record for the fastest marathon whilst pulling a car, dragging a Suzuki Alto on Worthing seafront for 9hrs 56min. In 2021, he was buried alive for seven days with just a ventilation tube and 20 litres of water – the event was live-streamed. And in 2024, he ran to every England game in the UEFA Euro 2024 football tournament, where England made the final!

We wait to hear what's next for Worthing's Hardest Geezer...

Photo from New Zealand courtesy Russ Cook