The Barefoot Experiment

Back in January I had the honor of attending comedian Eddie Izzard’s largest ever show, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  It was a stellar show filled with laughter (obviously) and some wonderfully cogent (surprising to some, but not to fans) reflections on life.

After an evening of sheer joy and brilliance, one wasn’t expecting much more following the encore, but it was only then that the most inspiring piece of the entire show made its appearance.

As everyone was filing out, upon the large projection screens appeared a video montage of Eddie’s epic run around the United Kingdom during the summer of 2009.  For those of you unfamiliar with Eddie’s little adventure, let me quickly summarize for you.

A rough sketch of Eddie's route through the UK.

With only 5 weeks training, the 47-year-old, not-exactly-athletic comedian decided to run 43 marathons in 51 days to support the Sport Relief charity.  With a six-days-on, one-day-off schedule, he ran a 1,160 mile loop that took him through all the capitals of the UK.  From London to Cardiff, across to Northern Ireland & Belfast, through Scotland to Edinburgh, and back down the eastern side of England to arrive back in London.   He traveled with a team that included a tour manager, sports therapist, a couple photographers, videographers, a rickshaw to carry equipment and video crew, and an ice cream truck.  Yes, an ice cream truck.  In each city that Eddie passed through, the truck served up free ice cream and accepted donations for the charity.

Capturing the struggle and ultimate triumph of Eddie’s epic adventure, the photos were stunning and deeply moving.  It was obvious in watching it that this journey was not merely a fundraiser for a charity.  Eddie Izzard was summoning forth and tackling some deeply personal monsters, and it was a journey of self-discovery and growth as much as it was an audacious effort to raise money for Sport Relief.  I feel bad for all the people who left the arena without seeing this presentation.  It was profoundly personal, a true gift from Eddie to the world.

Throughout the adventure, Eddie was tweeting his progress and it was a delight to follow his updates.  The BBC also continuously posted video diaries on YouTube, which allowed you to feel both the physical and psychological ups and downs of this endeavor in almost real time.  Now, they have edited together footage from the trip, only some of which appeared in the diaries, into a three part television program titled Eddie Izzard : Marathon Man.

The series was recently shown on BBC 3, but to those here in the United States, it likely went unnoticed.  From what I hear, the time slot it was given even in the UK was not ideal, but it’s well worth a watch.

The BBC website has made the program available online, but unless you are in the UK you’ll need to use a UK-based proxy server, as they’ve limited access geographically.  A better bet would be to cruise on over to YouTube and search for the episodes.  YouTube user AdamRooth has been so kind as to post them online, and I’ve compiled my own playlist to watch the episodes seamlessly.  I’ve made my own playlist public (just click here) so that everyone here can easily find the episodes, else just head to AdamRooth’s page and find them there.  I’d say “watch it while you can”, as stuff like this is often taken down quickly, but given the fact that the BBC itself has posted these publicly and for free elsewhere, I wonder if perhaps they’ll allow these copies to remain available.  I certainly hope so.

I’ve long been an Eddie Izzard fan.  It started naturally with his comedy – strangely surreal, playful and intelligent.  And dry, as I like it.  But following his career and his life has become an even greater joy for me than simply watching his stand-up.  His story is one of intense struggle and triumph.  He embodies the values of hard work and believing in oneself, even in the face of extraordinary odds.  And he’s bold.  Though fear and self-questioning seem to often present themselves, he never fails to face them squarely, and tackle the challenges honestly, uncertain of the outcome but supremely certain in his determination.  More than a comedian, more than an actor, Eddie Izzard stands as a true character, the embodiment of a life well (if strangely) lived, engaging the world and life with an open heart, open mind, and willingness to live artfully, purposefully and inspiringly.  His recent running adventure is only one of the many ways in which he’s braved the world and the challenges of his own human psychology.  Though seemingly an odd fit on first glance – Eddie Izzard the runner – I’m not the least bit surprised, though nonetheless inspired.

Watch, enjoy, and go make a difference in the world.

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all photos from the Eddie’s Marathon a day page on the Sport Relief website.  Visit, read, donate.

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