One down, 26 to go...

Eddie Izzard has completed the first of the 27 marathons he is running in South Africa.

The comedian is running a marathon a day for the next 27 days - one for each year Nelson Mandela spent in prison.

He told the BBC: 'The first 10 are always the hardest, but then your body and your brain gets used to it so it gets easier.'

Marathon one DONE by the astonishing @eddieizzard #MarathonMan pic.twitter.com/hQcVoRMI8N

— Sport Relief (@sportrelief) February 23, 2016

The comedian aims to run more than 700 miles in temperatures of up to 30C in the gruelling challenge across South Africa.

His run is in honour of Nelson Mandela, and he started at the former South African president's birthplace of Mvezo, in the Eastern Cape.

This morning Izzard posted a picture of himself by the banks of the river Mbashe as he began his attempt, in aid of Sport Relief, soon after sunrise.

Just started running in South Africa. Trying to run 27 marathons in 27 days for @sportrelief pic.twitter.com/m6RoybA72t

— Eddie Izzard (@eddieizzard) February 23, 2016

His final run is planned for Petoria on Sunday March 20,  ending at the Union Buildings where Nelson Mandela gave his inaugural speech as the first democratically elected President of South Africa in 1994.

Izzard previously attempted the same feat in 2012, but had to pull out for health reasons. And that attempt followed his 2009 achievement of completing 43 marathons in 51 days across the UK, raising more than £1.8million.

The comedian said his effort was 'a salute to all who struggled and fought against Apartheid'.

He added: 'Of course, 27 marathons in 27 days is nothing compared to what Nelson Mandela did by serving 27 years in prison. He was a great soul and leaves a fantastic legacy for the world.

'I tried to do this four years ago and failed. This time, I will succeed. But if I fail, I will come back again and again and again until I do succeed. Because that's what Nelson Mandela would have done.'

The will be a daily update on BBC Three, with his first video diary posted online this morning, showing him setting off with the South African flag in hand.

Comic Relief chief executive Kevin Cahill added: 'Eddie is undoubtedly one of our Sport Relief legends, and we are absolutely thrilled that he is going to push himself to the physical limit once again. We are beyond grateful for his continued support and will be with him every step of the way.'

Here Izzard explains his inspiration:

Published: 23 Feb 2016