In what turned out to be the fastest 26.2-mile race of all time, social media sensation Hardest Geezer missed out on his London Marathon target – but still clocked a notable PB.
Who is ‘Hardest Geezer’?
Russ Cook, known online as ‘Hardest Geezer’, is a British endurance athlete who rose to global fame after running the entire length of Africa in 2024 – a journey of over 16,000km completed in around 352 days.
Since accomplishing the mammoth feat, Cook has turned his attention to road racing, with the target of “getting fast” on the roads being “phase 1” in his endurance ambitions. His ultimate goal? To represent GB in ultra-running.
What Happened During Hardest Geezer’s London Marathon Effort?
After finishing the 2025 New York City Marathon in 2:53 – in which he admitted he set off at “suicide pace” before the wheels came off at 32km – Cook set his sights on London with an ambitious 2:30 goal.
He later revised to 2:35, but even then, many in the running community were publicly sceptical of his ability to reach the target.
And so it proved. In a post-run debrief, Cook admitted his London Marathon effort was in jeopardy from the get-go, with his heart rate being elevated in the first few minutes and stomach troubles setting in around 5km gone.
And then he found himself forced to make an unplanned trip to a portaloo at the 10km mark.
The 2:35 goal was ultimately well beyond reach, with Hardest Geezer crossing the line in 2:46:59. However, the result represents a six-minute improvement on New York and a new official marathon PB.
SEE ALSO: ‘Hardest Geezer’ Russ Cook Sets Sights On GB 24 Hour Running Team
