Eddie Izzard completed his 1,100-mile run across Britain yesterday, raising at least £200,000 for Sport Relief en route.
On his 52nd day on the road, he completed his 43rd marathon in a personal best of five hours and 30 seconds.
Crowds gathered in Trafalgar Square to welcome back the 47-year-old comic – who seven weeks ago would have appeared an unlikely athletic hero.
After catching his breath as he crossed the finish line, he said modestly: ‘I don’t think what I did was amazing. Anyone can do it. I’ve shown that even an idiot like me can run 43 marathons
"I feel exhausted now, but you know, it's over."
Hundreds of fans, including cheerleaders and stiltwakers, greeted his return to London. "Being here is very nice," he said. ‘When I left here seven-and-a-half weeks ago there was nobody here and it was just another cold morning."
He said the blisters he suffered en route had mostly healed, but that he lost his toenails on my outer toes. "I don’t think I’ve lost weight,’ he added, "because it turns into muscle, so you probably put on weight."
His journey took him from London to Cardiff, up to Liverpool and Stranraer, where he crossed the Irish sea to run from Belfast to Londonderry, before crossing back to run from Glasgow to Edinburgh, then back to London via Newcastle, Leeds and Northampton.
Visit the official website at http://eddieizrunning.com/ to donate.
Copyright : Comedy Central UK