So now we know what's next for 'Worthing's Hardest Geezer' Russell Cook. After completing #Project Africa – an extraordinary 16,295km (10,125mls) 352-day run from the southernmost tip of South Africa to the northernmost point of Tunisia, as reported in runABC last year – we hear he is off down under to run the entire length of New Zealand!

Through his African odyssey, Cook raised £1,000,000 for two charities – the Running Charity and Sandblast – and endured border crossing delays, suffered food poisoning, handled extreme temperatures, and even survived an armed robbery.

Now he hopes the Te Araroa Trail, running from the South to the North Island of New Zealand, will be safer than his adventures in Africa. Still, this won't be a cakewalk by any measure, as Cook explains in this brief video...

The Te Araroa (The Long Pathway) Trail opened in 2011 and covers around 3,000kms (1,900 miles) from the seaport Bluff on South Island to the remote Cape Reinga at the northern tip of the North Island. Cook has already calculated the route has more than 91,000 feet of elevation (equivalent to 10 times Mount Everest) and his plan to complete the run in 60 days will require an average of 33 miles a day!

Speaking to the BBC recently, Cook said: "After a big challenge, it took some time for the body to get back to reality. But I’m feeling fresh and ready for the next one. New Zealand is somewhere I have always wanted to go. It’s the adventure capital of the world. It’s going to be an absolute brutal one on the legs, like I’ve never done before."

Since #Project Africa there has been some speculation regarding Russ Cook's next big charity challenge but he kept his mind busy by publishing his book 'Hardest Geezer – Mind Over Miles' and his body active by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with his Hardest Adventures group!

The start date for #Project New Zealand is yet to be decided but we will keep readers informed of the progress of the seemingly indefatigable Hardest Geezer from Worthing...

Photo of Russ Cook completing #Project Africa courtesy Hardest Geezer on X