Haile Gebrselassie

“I'm lucky. The best possible place in the world for training is Addis Ababa, so I am home all the time except when I am racing. I like to be there, near my family, my kids, also the real estate business I run with my wife.”

“I find the business world hard.”

“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.”

“I have to change a lot of things before I become a good marathon runner.”

“I feel a social responsibility. We need to open people's eyes. There is a lack of education in Ethiopia.”

“The more you are getting older, you lose a little something. Of course there is another advantage, because of your long experience you can use it.”

“I wanted to experience New York, to look up and see buildings.”

“I wanted to be famous. I wanted people to talk about me.”

“I will always listen to my coaches. But first I listen to my body. If what they tell me suits my body, great. If my body doesn't feel good with what they say, then always my body comes first.”

“This is what I wanted. They tell me that London is the best field in history. I wanted to be part of that. Because everyone will be there it will be a wonderful challenge for me. You can see the best runners, how they look, how they run. For me to beat the best is what counts.”

“I want to go down in history.”

“What can you do if a part of it is uphill? You can't work out another route. You've just got to run the one they give you. But they tell me London is a nice course. Even the cobbles, I hope, are not very much of a problem for me.”

“That is not enough. Sport has been great for me, a great learning place that if you want to achieve you can, even if you are from the poorest part of Africa.”

“When I wake up at 5 in the morning is it just to jog? Definitely not, I give it all of my efforts.”