Russ Cook, the British ultrarunner and social media figure better known as the Hardest Geezer, has completed his latest headline-grabbing challenge: running the length of New Zealand, from Bluff at the southern tip of the South Island to Cape Rฤinga at the top of the North.
The feat took him 73 days and spanned more than 2,500 kilometers. He marked the finish with a celebratory post on Instagram, thanking his sponsors, including tourism authority 100% Pure New Zealand, and crediting โhundreds of piesโ and a โbucket load of mountainsโ for getting him through the journey.
But it wasnโt just the celebratory tone of the post that caught the internetโs attention. It was what followed: Cook, after weeks of uploading stripped-back Strava entries with missing data, quietly added GPS maps for the entirety of the route.
READ MORE: The Internet Has Questions About the Hardest Geezerโs Run Across New Zealand
For much of the New Zealand run, Cookโs followers were left in the dark.
Strava uploads came late, often lacked route data, and were missing standard performance metrics such as cadence, elevation, and heart rate. Some entries listed only distance and time, a noticeable departure from the detailed tracking that had defined his previous Africa run.
Then, with the finish line crossed, the data reappeared.
Every run, from Day 1 to Day 73, now has a full GPS map attached. They include routes and segment details, filling in the blanks left over from the past several weeks. But the timing and the retrospective nature of the uploads havenโt satisfied everyone.
On X, one user posted: โGeezer has apparently โcompletedโ his challenge, and as if by magic the maps appear on Strava. If you believe this circus then there is no helping you.โ Another runner wrote, โNot that Iโm implying anything,โ while linking to a guide on converting and editing GPS files for Garmin devices.
Geezer has apparently โcompletedโ his challenge, and as if by magic the maps appear on Strava. If you believe this circus then there is no helping you.
— ukhotfoodchat (@UKhotfoodchat) May 22, 2025
Transparency and Timing
Cook has not issued any explanation about the delayed uploads or the sudden availability of full route data. His recent Strava entries show clean point-to-point trails across the country, but offer no clarification as to why that information wasnโt made public in real time.
In past comments, Cook attributed missing data to syncing issues with his Garmin Enduro 2 and to the use of navigation mode. That defense drew skepticism, as many runners using the same device noted that its settings shouldnโt suppress heart rate or GPS mapping by default.
During the run, Cookโs tone toward critics became notably more defensive. On social media, users who questioned the lack of tracking were blocked. When asked why he wouldnโt just post all the data, he replied: โI ainโt a watch nerd.โ
Still, for a runner whose brand and business are deeply intertwined with visibility, the absence of daily proof made an impression.
The late reappearance of GPS files may quiet some critics, but it has not resolved the broader conversation about transparency, especially when brand partnerships, sponsorship revenue, and public perception are all on the line.
The Business Behind the Run
Unlike his Africa crossing, which raised more than $1 million for charity, Cookโs New Zealand effort was a commercial endeavor from the start.
Backed by New Zealandโs tourism board and featuring prominently disclosed sponsorships from brands like Huel, the challenge was, at its core, a marketing campaign.
Cook, now represented by a major international speaking agency and routinely earning substantial sums per post, has become one of the most visible figures in endurance sports. His social media following, more than 1.2 million on Instagram and 142,000 on Strava, gives him a level of influence few ultrarunners can match.
But that visibility comes with scrutiny.
Cookโs uploads now show that the full route was covered, at least on paper. But for some, the decision to withhold GPS data until after the projectโs conclusion continues to raise questions about the nature of accountability in influencer-driven endurance feats.
In a space where credibility is increasingly measured by live metrics and community engagement, Cookโs post-hoc reveal feels, to many, like an anticlimax, or worse, a controlled narrative.
What Comes Next
Cook says heโs โback to training,โ but has not announced his next project. In the meantime, the discourse around his New Zealand run underscores a growing tension in ultra-endurance storytelling: the friction between authenticity and performance, between digital proof and spectacle.
The maps may be live now. But for many watching this unfold, the trust gap hasnโt quite closed.
I think I’d do the same as he did, for personal security. It would be easy for someone who doesn’t like him to track his route and disrupt his progress, or worse.
He clearly has a lot of fans, but also a lot of people who don’t like the way he is doing things. So withholding precise daily GPS data seems like a fairly sensible thing to do, from a personal safety perspective.
On the other point – that he’s doing it for commercial gain this time. I’m not sure what’s wrong with that. Don’t most professional athletes do the same? I’m sure Kipchoge earned a sum from Nike for his sub 2hr effort. It doesn’t diminish the achievement. Or, is it different because HG is not an elite athlete and has previously raised loads of money for charity? If so, is it right to expect him to always run for charity only? I imagine raising sponsorship to attempt such efforts is very hard, let alone doing the thing. I’d cut him some slack.