Izzard runs 40 marathons for charity

LONDON, Aug. 23 (UPI) -- British comedian and actor Eddie Izzard says his decision to run 40 marathons for charity is gaining a lot of attention along the nation's roads.

Izzard, who is running 1,000 miles around Britain for the Sport Relief initiative by Comic Relief, told the BBC he has been mostly received warmly with people very willing to donate, and that his celebrity status frequently prompts motorists recognizing him to pull over and give money.

"In Birkenhead almost every other car was honking, but there's 1 percent who are negative," Izzard told the British broadcaster. "You think, well, they don't like themselves."

He said that sometimes drivers can't see him even though he is very recognizable wearing a yellow top, blond hair highlights and a fawn d'Artagnan goatee.

The BBC said the cross-dressing Izzard, 47, traveling with a tour manager, a sports therapist and an ice-cream van, left London July 26 after making a snap decision to run 30 miles per day around Britain. The broadcaster reported that Izzard so far has run through the west of England, Wales, Liverpool and is now in the Lake District.