'Hardest Geezer' Russ Cook who ran entire length of Africa faces his toughest challenge yet - taking on the yummy mummies at Clapham Common Park Run

British runner Russ Cook who ran entire length of Africa today took on his toughest challenge yet - running 5km around Clapham Common. 

The self-styled 'Hardest Geezer' led out thousands of runners taking part in a 'Run and Raise' event just days after completing his 10,000-mile odyssey from South Africa to Tunisia.

The 27-year-old, from Worthing in West Sussex, was pictured embracing fellow racegoers and taking selfies after completing the run - which probably came as a walk in the park for the marathoner - earlier this morning. 

The event organised by Made In Chelsea's Joshua Patterson, helped raise money towards Russ's £1 million fundraising target which he set before taking on the mammoth feat last April. 

The athlete has so far raised just over £922,000, with hopes the £5 donations given by runners in order to take part today will help him meet his goal. 

Russ was pictured smiling with adoring fans in Clapham Common earlier today after completing the 5km run around the park. 

Announcing the event earlier this week, Joshua wrote on Instagram: 'Yesterday as most of you know Russ aka Hardest Geezer became the first person in history to run the length of Africa. 

'A member of his team reached out to me to see if I could help in anyway to help him hit that well deserved target of 1M for charity.

'So this Saturday 13th April I’m hosting a 5k run & raise for Russ. I’m baffled how he has not hit the full 1M target for what he’s accomplished. 

'So please spread the word, and hopefully in our numbers let’s show the man our support back home, and help him raise just that little bit more.'

People were told to meet at the Pear Tree Cafe in the centre of Clapham Common at 10am on Saturday. 

Runners of 'all abilities' were encouraged to take part, with a request for anyone attending to make a £5 donation towards Russ's £1m target, which is raising money for The Running Charity and Sandblast. 

Any hard core fans of the Brit were also encouraged to don 'ginger beards and swimming goggles to honour the legend himself'.

Russ completed the run that saw him start in the continent's most southern point, Cape Agulhas in South Africa on April 22 last year before crossing the finish line in Ras Angela, Tunisia, the most northern point on Sunday April 7.

Incredible scenes saw him being embraced by loved ones and serenaded by fans chanting 'Geezer, Geezer, Geezer' before he declared that he wasn't finished with running challenges and may run across north America next. 

The epic trek took him 352 days to finish and was the equivalent of running 385 marathons.

Cook's fundraising page on Givestar claims he was the first ever person to run across the entire length of Africa and the Guiness World Records confirmed they were planning to present him with the award - providing he can give evidence. 

'As per our guidelines, the start and finish point of the record title, Fastest crossing of Africa on foot (male) is Ras Ben Sakka, Tunisia to Cape L'Agulhas, South Africa, which are the Northernmost and Southernmost points of mainland Africa.

'Russ would be the first record holder of this title and we are looking forward to receiving the evidence for our records management team to review.'

However, Cook's claim sparked a furious row in the world of endurance running after it emerged that similar feats had been accomplished twice before - including 14 years ago by a Danish ultrarunner who has accused the 'Hardest Geezer' of overlooking them.  

Last week it emerged that fellow Brit Nicholas Bourne ran an astonishing 7,499 miles from South Africa to Egypt in 1998, nearly 30 years before Cook broke completed his own route, which was just less than 3,000 miles longer.  

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Bourne said: 'I would like to congratulate Russ on completing an incredible challenge and I hope he receives the recognition he deserves and inspires others to undertake their own challenge and meet some incredible people along the way.'

Addressing the controversy, he added: 'It was a long time ago so there's no reason Russ would have necessarily been aware.

'I have attempted a few ultra records, both running and cycling, and the landscape has changed in that 30 years ago there was no governing body so the takeaway from this is that anyone planning a record should contact the sport's governing body.

'And governing bodies should make contact with the Guinness book of records as they are still often the first point of contact.

'I hope that more people can be inspired to undertake travel in this way… it is an incredible experience that affords some insight into the day to day challenges of individuals and communities in different parts of our incredibly beautiful world that we need to look after better than we do.'

However, Jesper Olsen from Copenhagen, who ran the route in 2010, was less than impressed. Last night he told MailOnline: 'Mr Cook is not the first and neither was I [...] Our world with our type of runners is very small. It is not done that you try to ignore other people who have done that run.

'The first person to run the length of Africa was Nicholas Bourne from the UK and it was ratified by the Guinness Book of Records.

'I must be sure to say that I definitely have respect for the run (by Mr Cook) and there should be no doubt that it is a very impressive run. There is no doubt that it is not that.

'It is a huge effort that he has done. But it is a little like somebody saying they have broken the 10,000m record when they haven't.

Olsen said he only learned of Cook's challenge two weeks ago.

Fellow World Runners Association member Marie Leautey said the group were made aware of it only one month ago and attempted to contact him before releasing their statement.

Ms Leautey, 46, praised Cook's effort but added that she she does not want her friend Olsen's achievement to be 'written off from history'.

Ms Leautey, a finance consultant based in London, added: 'It's not really about claiming a title or a claim for glory or recognition, it's just a fact-checking thing and it has to do with sportsmanship.

'We are a small community, only seven of us, we all appreciate the people who have done it before us because they are the ones that have made it possible for us to do.

'Cook has done a fantastic run and we really want to applaud him for it and say congratulations, but we also don't want Jesper's run to be written off from history because it doesn't feel right.'

She said the running group received an online backlash for claiming Olsen's run predates Cook's challenge.

In 1998, the BBC reported on Mr Bourne's run which began in South Africa and ended at the Pyramids in Cairo.

Bourne 'braved deserts, floods, war zones and wild animals to complete' the endurance test, the BBC said.

He was raising money for the charities Born Free and Save the Children.

The 6ft.4in former model said at the time: 'I wanted something else in my life. I also wanted to highlight some of the things that I felt were necessary to highlight, about conservation and about education for children.'