Haile Gebrselassie
You know the marathon in my country is just exceptional. It's like soccer in England. If England win the world cup and Ethiopia win the marathon - it's the same.
I want to go down in history.
You must do as your people do. If my people are poor, I must be poor. People ask me, 'Why don't you find a personal coach or a private car?' I can't. Then I won't be part of my people.
Many people know that Ethiopia is poor. When I break a world record, maybe people get to know something else about Ethiopia, something good. We can't make planes or cars, we don't have the materials. We do what we can.
I was the kind of child who worked hard every day with the cows and sheep - I was a very aggressive boy.
When I had no shoes I was comfortable - I used to run barefoot. When I wore shoes it was difficult. To run in shoes was ok, but at the beginning of my career it was hard.
Life is a kind of struggle. Life is a sort of fight.
My father didn't think running was sensible. He told me running is just wasting time.
All athletes need three things: commitment, discipline and hard work. Without that it's hard to keep running.Collection: Running
I know what I want when I start a marathon: to win! But what do you want? Make sure you're clear in advance and don't go out too fast.Collection: Winning
Being a great athlete is something that requires a lot of training and dedication, it does not come as easily as some people may think.Collection: Athlete
When you talk about world record times, you have to understand that everything must be perfect the weather, the course, the temperature. It is not always enough to be in good shape.Collection: Weather
I'm retiring from competitive running, not from running. You cannot stop running, this is my life.Collection: Running
Considering that the race is star-studded no runner will be willing to set the pace for the others. This is why a record will be almost impossible.Collection: Stars
My father thought sport was something fun - he didn't know it was a way to make money.Collection: Sports
Since I achieved something, running has exploded in my country.Collection: Running
I’m a runner first before anything else.Collection: Running
My father thought sport was something fun – he didn’t know it was a way to make money.Collection: Fun