Eddie Izzard. Yes, the genius behind the Death Star Canteen bit is also an inspiration for runners. He ran 43 marathons in 51 days to raise £200,000 for Sport Relief. Izzard clocked up more than 27 miles – further than a marathon – every day, six days a week, since he started. He trained for only five weeks before his Herculean effort. When he started, he was completing the daily distance in around ten hours. By the time he had finished he had halved his time to a little over five.