Comedian, actor, and writer Eddie Izzard ran an astonishing 27 marathons over the course of 27 days in South Africa.
The feat is to honor the 27 years that Nelson Mandela spent in prison before being named South Africa’s first black president.
As Izzard ran, he held up the South African flag.
On the last day, the 54 year old Izzard had to run a double marathon (over 52 miles) to make up for a day of rest on the fifth day due to medical concerns. He finished beneath a statue of Nelson Mandela, and celebrated with a bottle of champagne.
“It’s been the hardest thing I’ve ever done and I’m very tired,” he told the BBC after finishing the final race.
In 2012, the comedian tried to accomplish a similar feat, also in South Africa, but had to pull out after four days for health reasons.
Due to South Africa’s climate, Izzard battled through dehydration, heat exhaustion, and sunstroke to reach his goal.
In total, he ran a total of 707.4 miles, and it was sponsored by Sports Relief, an organization that raises money for charity through celebrity challenges.
Izzard said: “This has been a long project, but with the help of ‘Team 27’ I did it. Thank you so much to everyone who donated. I always knew I‘d be back. When I didn’t make it in 2012 I knew I’d be back. I can’t stand upright, I have a huge blister and I’m exhausted. But I’m delighted.”
Izzard’s feat raised 1.35 million pounds ($1,942,528), and Sports Relief, as of 2016, has raised 56,984,007 pounds ($81,974,343).
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