Lil Nas X ran the NYC Half in Coach high tops Eddie Izzard is in the midst of yet another impressive run streak, this time a 700-mile pilgrimage across South Africa for Advertisement - Continue Reading Below.
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A tribute to anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician and philanthropist Nelson Mandela, Izzard plans to run a total of 27 marathons over 27 days to represent the 27 years Mandela spent in prison.
Izzard is no stranger to endurance, having covered the length of the UK in 2009, running 43 marathons in 51 days - a total of almost 2000 kilometres in seven weeks.
He began his South African journey on 24th February in the Eastern Cape. Throughout the challenge Izzard has been visiting communities, organisations and families that have all been helped by the work of Sport Relief and exploring the home country of Mandela.
So far, Izzard's fastest marathon has been 5:34 and his slowest has been 9:45.
'I’ve adopted lots of different types of marathons,' he told Runner's World. '1. Split marathons (running 21K in the morning, resting during the midday sun and finishing late afternoon) 2. Recovery marathons at a steady pace with no time pressure. 3. Time trials - quickest was 5 hours 34 minutes on Sunday 13th).
Wearing Inov Race Ultra 290's on his feet, the endurance runner has followed a strict diet to get him across South Africa. 'I have been eating porridge and honey before on most days, also sometimes boiled eggs or yoghurt,' he said. 'Then date balls and dried mango during the run, electrolyte drink as soon as I've finished followed by a protein-based shake, and I've been drinking water every 10 minutes.'
He has also relied on ice to ease the pain. 'I've used ice buckets for my feet as soon as I've finished, followed by a warm shower and a massage.'
Izzard suffered a minor setback four days into the run streak, but not one to shirk his responsibilities, he has vowed to complete a double marathon on the final day.
22 days and 22 marathons into the challenge, the 54-year-old is on schedule to complete his final marathon in Pretoria on 20th March.
Follow Eddie's progress live on Twitter: @eddieizzard
Rhalou is a senior digital editor specialising in health and wellness with over eighteen years’ online and print publishing experience. Rhalou has worked at various health platforms including Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Runner’s World, Netdoctor, Women’s Running, Men’s Running, The Running Bug and Women’s Fitness. Covering everything from sexual health to fitness, parenting, marathon running and self-care, Rhalou loves creating fun and accessible lifestyle content and feels strongly about demystifying complex medical jargon and empowering people to better understand their health. Previously, Rhalou was a freelance social media specialist for several major sporting events and race listings including The London Marathon, Breca Swimrun, Findarace, The Westminster Mile and Prudential Ride 100. She has also been a reporter on a local newspaper in remote Scotland, penning breaking news stories about killer otters, cats stuck up trees and the Scottish hill racing scene. Over the years, Rhalou has been lucky enough to run 15 marathons and even a few ultra-marathons. She is still a passionate runner, but these days she can mostly be found at her local parkrun or chasing after her young son.
