Haile Gebrselassie Quotes

All athletes need three things: commitment, discipline and hard work. Without that it's hard to keep running.

When you run the marathon, you run against the distance, not against the other runners and not against the time.

Once you have commitment, you need the discipline and hard work to get you there.

I always tell young athletes the same thing, 'Wherever you go, whatever you do, what must your top priority be? Running.'

Always, if you win mentally, you can win physically as well.

For me a day without training is like a day without eating.

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.

You need three things to win: discipline, hard work and, before everything maybe, commitment. No one will make it without those three. Sport teaches you that.

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.

It is not my duty to spend my money in my country, but it is what I want to do. There is nowhere else I would like to invest.

I love running and I will always run.

Age for me is just a number.

I can't change everything by myself but I can be one of the people who are trying to change the situation.

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

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.

My school was six miles away from where I lived on the farm. I had to walk and run, there and back every day, through gorges and over rivers. If I was late, there was a very big stick waiting for me.

If you're planning only to make money and nothing else, you'll be broke.

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.

Why should I say I will retire in three or four years? You retire the very moment you utter those words.

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

When I run in Ethiopia, I look out and see eucalyptus trees and rivers.

In my life I do a lot of things but I never forget my training.

Life is a kind of struggle. Life is a sort of fight.

Like some high official, you have to tell your brain: 'Do it. Come on. I have to do it.'

My father didn't think running was sensible. He told me running is just wasting time.

Since I achieved something, running has exploded in my country. For me sometimes it is difficult even to know who the athletes are who are competing at the highest level. There are thousands.

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.

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

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 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.

I'm a runner first before anything else.

When you promise something, you must fulfill it.

I'm retiring from competitive running, not from running. You cannot stop running, this is my life.

I haven't done a marathon for a long time. So we'll see. I will need good luck.

If I don't train enough, of course I'm nervous.

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.

Athletics is in my blood.

What is important is to win.

Since I achieved something, running has exploded in my country.

I want to go down in history.

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

I think if you come first with a new world record, that is the best.

I want to avoid injuries by running only road.

Schooling is so important.

If you are a really good marathoner, you have to run New York.

You lose the speed before the stamina.

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

I used to run to school, 10k every day. And this at altitude, perfect preparation, really.

I find the business world hard.

Athletes have to be confident and I am thinking like that.