How a drunken epiphany led endurance runner Russ Cook from a nightclub to national treasure status

Russ Cook, otherwise known as Hardest Geezer, takes on the challenge of running the span of New Zealand less than a year after finishing his run across Africa - (Ben Stevens/PinPep)

In a world where toxic masculinity is a growing concern, Russ Cook is a breath of fresh air. Yes, he’s the first man to run the length of Africa, and yes, this is mightily impressive. But chatting to him, it’s the 27-year-old endurance athlete’s openness and irresistible enthusiasm, rather than his impressive mileage, that reaffirms his status as a newly-adopted national treasure.

We talk via Zoom ahead of his latest challenge – running the length of New Zealand – and as the conversation continues, I’m surprised to learn that life looked very different for the Huel ambassador less than 10 years ago.