Eddie Izzard ’27 Marathon’ Marathon is Underway
When super fans of Eddie Izzard heard that he’s running 27 marathons in 27 days, they likely responded “yeah, that seems about right.” This isn’t the first time Izzard has accomplished an incredible athletic feat, in 2009 he completed 43 marathons in 51 days across the UK for Sport Relief, raising over £1.8m. Izzard has a bit of a Midas touch, whether it’s acting, writing, politics, or selling out enormous arenas for standup comedy (in 4 different languages btw), there’s nothing the guy can’t do.
Buy why? Why would anyone do this to themselves? It’s in honor of South African President, Nelson Mandela. Izzard explains to BBC: “27 marathons in 27 days is nothing compared to what Nelson Mandela did by serving 27 years in prison. He was a great soul and leaves a fantastic legacy for the world.”
This challenge puts Izzard among the ranks of professional ultra marathoners. He’s traveling with a team to help keep his body working, and the rest Izzard claims is mental stamina. “The first 10 (miles) are always the hardest, but then your body and your brain gets used to it so it gets easier,” he told the BBC. He continues, “You can’t really train for 27 marathons, it’s mental training. – It’s about getting your health into the right place, eating the right food, and getting mentally prepared for it. Once you get yourself off refined sugar, you do get to a much better place.” The 54 year old also admitted that he “doesn’t actually like running”, but he keeps himself entertained along the way by stopping to talk to donkeys, goats, cows and dogs.’”
In addition to running, Izzard will explore the histories of South Africa, as well as visiting communities, organizations and families that have all been helped by the work of Comic Relief and Sport Relief. Sport Relief is a biennial charity event from Comic Relief, in association with BBC Sport, which brings together the worlds of sport and entertainment to raise money to help vulnerable people in both the UK and the world’s poorest countries.
Go get ‘em Eddie! You made us feel lazy as hell, but we’re proud of and inspired by you! Follow along at sportrelief.com.
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Renee Colvert
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