By Joshua KWIHANGANA

In just 240 days for charity: Sweltering deserts, giant rainforests and dangerous wildlife are just some of the hurdles that Russell Cook says he’ll encounter as he attempts to complete the gargantuan task of running the length of #AFRICA.

Starting at the most southerly point in #SouthAfrica 🇿🇦, the 26-year-old #Briton is aiming to reach the most northerly point in #Tunisia 🇹🇳 by Christmas – that’s the equivalent of running 360 #marathons in 240 days.

Supported by a small skeleton crew of friends, Cook will pass through 16 countries in what promises to be a physically demanding, mentally exhausting and logistically challenging expedition as he raises money for both The Running Charity and #WaterAid.

“Honestly, I’m actually not daunted by any of it,” says Cook on day 36 of his odyssey.

“There’s no point worrying about it until it’s right in your face. We can plan and try to mitigate as much as we can along the way but none of these things keep me up at night. Handle the day, wake up, and handle tomorrow.”

In the first two weeks of his trip, Cook ran over 50 kilometers per day through South Africa and is now crossing #Namibia 🇳🇦 where he faces the unrelenting #NamibDesert.

It’s a challenge beyond most people’s imaginations but not for Cook, who has earned the nickname “The Hardest Geezer.”

He only found his running legs later in life, but has already completed some incredible feats – running from #Istanbul to #London and completing a #marathon while pulling a car.

But life hasn’t always been so remarkable for Cook and it’s the memory of a previous #world that still motivates him.