“I came from London last night, got in about midnight, and I’m raring to go. We’re bringing the energy today, aren’t we?” were the opening words of the Hardest Geezer — Russ Cook — in our interview on a (fairly early) mid-week morning, by the Mill on the Exe.
His first time in Exeter, Russ debuted his UK Run Club Tour with a mix of student and local runners, launching a series of events centred around a social run, and the opportunity to meet the Hardest Geezer himself. From our own city, the tour will then take him to St Andrews, Loughborough, Warwick, and Nottingham – spreading the word on and off campuses about his adventure travel organisation, Hardest Adventures.
The run club tour itself is just a taster of what Hardest Adventures offers. As Russ explained, “we’re on a mission to inspire people to take on the adventure of their lives, to do meaningful things, and as part of that we’re visiting all of these different universities,” inspiring students to have their own Hardest Geezer experiences.
We’re on a mission to inspire people to take on the adventure of their lives, to do meaningful things.
Russ Cook
The inspiration behind the adventure travel organisation is this very impulse to share Russ’s love of challenge, and his dedication to “pushing physical limits while raising funds for important causes.” He explains that the idea came to him about a year ago, following the momentous Project Africa, which crowned him the first person to have run the length of the continent. In his own words: “I was thinking, I’ve had so many mad experiences and journeys, what can I do to try and pass that onto as many different people as possible? So, I came up with the idea of Hardest Adventures.”
As outlined on their website (and on the many posters dotted around the university), Russ and his team of Geezers offer a range of adventures to both students and the general public, including treks to Machu Picchu, Kilimanjaro, and Everest Base Camp. However, Russ reassures me that Hardest Adventures isn’t just for the endurance athletes, but that “adventure really is for everyone, and that’s what we’re here to do — it doesn’t matter if you’ve never run a 5k, or if you’re banging marathons out every weekend, we’re here for the people — to encourage them to take that first step (…) we just want to get people moving.”
Adventure really is for everyone (…) it doesn’t matter if you’ve never run a 5k, or if you’re banging marathons out every weekend, we’re here for the people.
Russ Cook
Another key aspect of the initiative is fundraising, helping students to “raise a bunch of money for a cause they really care about, and have the adventure of their lifetime in the process!” A member of the UoE’s Athletics Club, who attended the run, mentioned this being a key focus for them too. He explained: “throughout the year, we’re looking to do lots of different events with our run club,” including charity events, and partnering the club with inspirational figures like Russ. He added that, “run clubs have become such a big thing of recent, and we want our run club to be something inclusive that everyone can get involved in,” emphasising the community-building side of running.
Other attendees, including members from Cool Runnings (the UoE’s casual running society), explained that the communal aspect was essential to their love of running too; with some having rediscovered a passion for it at uni, or inspired by the impact of events like the London 2012 Olympic Games. One runner stated, no matter the reason you started, “you’ve always got a family in running!”
You’ve always got a family in running!
Member of Athletics Club
Kitty Foss, the Student Account Manager for the Exeter division of Hardest Adventures, also stresses this side of running. She told me that although she “started running because it was my personal time, and it was something that I could just go and do by myself,” she then discovered the social side of it during her time studying at Exeter. She pointed out that “it’s like your own sport, but you can still do it with other people.” This is echoed by members of the local All In Run Club, who share that, though they started running in lockdown “to lose weight and just get out of the house,” the passion has stuck, and brought many of them together over the last five years.
Of course, the solo aspect of running is something Russ is more than familiar with, too. Having been very open online and in his other interviews about the link between mental well-being and running, he shares that: “that’s my journey with it all — using adventure, running, fitness as something that can really benefit my mental health, and I know that it can have that effect for a lot of people.” The sentiment resonates with many of the runners there, and is a foundational part of what Hardest Adventures aims to provide for their adventurers.
That’s my journey with it all — using adventure, running, fitness as something that can really benefit my mental health, and I know that it can have that effect for a lot of people.
Russ Cook
Though the Hardest Geezer, ever in motion, has moved onto the next legs of his tour, the Exeter team for Hardest Adventures has more than enough adventure to offer locals and students who want to get involved. To keep an eye on what’s available, you can follow their Instagram account (@hardestadventures_exeter), or use the QR code included here for further information on events, their website, and upcoming info sessions.
