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Marathon man Eddie Izzard embarks on mammoth UK run for Sport Relief

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Think of marathon runners, and Eddie Izzard is not the first name that springs to mind. But that hasn't stopped the comedian lacing up his trainers with the aim of running more than 1,000 miles in seven weeks to help raise money for charity.

On Monday morning at 6am, the 47-year-old stand-up quietly set off from London's Trafalgar Square clutching a small England flag. He plans to rack up around 30 miles each day as he travels around the whole of the UK.

He will run through London, Cardiff, Belfast and Edinburgh before returning to the British capital, changing his standard to represent each of the four home nations as he passes.

Incredibly, Eddie, who ended his first day in Bagshot before arriving in Camberley on Tuesday morning, only began training for his athletic challenge about a month ago.

But despite already suffering from a few injuries, including blisters and problems with his shins, the Yemen-born funnyman remains in high spirits and is regularly updating his fans via his Twitter page.

"I finished. 3 marathons in 3 days! I was cold and wet but I got to Stonehenge and I was allowed to walk inside the stone circle. Excellent," he tweeted on Wednesday night. Eddie's entourage includes a sports therapist, a camper van, tents and an ice cream van, which is following him and giving out ice creams to encourage people to donate.

Cash goes to Sport Relief a biennial charity event from Comic Relief, which aims to bring together the worlds of sport and entertainment to raise money to help vulnerable people in both the UK and the world's poorest countries.

Having passed through Surrey and Hampshire, the Riches actor said the reception he has received from the public has been very positive.

"I think some people are going: 'Who is this idiot, get out of the way,' but the majority of people are honking their horns to say hello," he joked.

Don't forget to check out hellomagazine.com's celebrity Twitter page for more star tweets.

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