Top 30 Haile Gebrselassie Quotes

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

If your body is damaged, wounded, it can be fixed, but if inside, mentally, you are wounded you cannot fix it, it’s hard.

This hand is not very active always, because it was in this hand that I carried my books. My carrying hand was always my strongest. Now I think my other hand has developed more muscles from signing all those autographs.

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

You know for me when I promise something I want to deliver. If you don’t, you have to disappear.

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

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 remember in particular my first victory when I achieved a very fast time in what were perfect conditions but since then the wind has always been a factor against me.

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

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

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 have seen things few of my countrymen have. The first time I went on an aeroplane I couldn’t work out how the lavatories worked up in the sky.

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

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 was the kind of child who worked hard every day with the cows and sheep – I was a very aggressive boy.

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.

Schooling is so important.

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

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

You lose the speed before the stamina.

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.

The marathon always starts after 30K. That’s where the problems start. You start without any problems, without any pain. All the pain comes after 30K. Sometimes, it’s possible to have pain even in the finger.

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

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

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.

In the marathon a crazy athlete can just keep pushing from the beginning, at a championship you don’t need a time just to win the race.

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

When we race in London a world record will be the last thing on our minds.

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.