Was your talent spotted at an early age?I grew up on a maize and rice farm in rural Ethiopia and had to run 10m to school every day through forests and gorges and across rivers and muddy roads. That’s how I developed my running style. I always had to rush to get to school on time, so I had to run fast. I started enjoying running more and more, but I had to do a lot of work on the land of my father and family. I don’t think anyone thought I could be a world-class athlete until I won both the 5,000m and 10,000m at the world junior championships in Seoul in 1992 – that was the big turning point.
What is your greatest achievement to date?I have been very lucky in my career and I look back with pride at my first major title, the 10,000m at the world championships in 1993, and also at winning gold in the 10,000m at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. But setting a new world record for the marathon in Berlin in 2007 is probably the best moment of my career because it is the king of distance. When I started running, I was planning to run a marathon one day. My dream has come true.
What is your favourite training session?I love to run in Ethiopia and look out and see eucalyptus trees and rivers. I love the freedom of just running in wide open spaces and seeing all of the countryside. This goes back to when I used to run to school, carrying my books in my arms. These days all my training is based around the marathon and so I have no more sprint.
Who’s your best friend in athletics?I have made many friends around the world through athletics. After I broke the marathon record in Berlin I received two important phone calls within 30 minutes. The first was from my wife, Alem, who was crying back in Addis Ababa. The second was from my friend Paul Tergat, whose record I had broken. I said to him: ‘Sorry Paul, try next year.” I also have a lot of respect for Kenenisa Bekele after we ran around the track after the 10,00m final in Athens.
How important is diet and nutrition to you?It is very important to eat the right things and stay in good condition when you are an athlete. Only after a win will I allow myself to eat fast food. My normal diet consists of vegetables and injera, which is our traditional food. It’s made of teff, which is grown in Ethiopia and is a very rich grain with a lot of minerals.
Describe the atmosphere at a big event?
I love running on the track in stadiums and I also love running on the road. At the big championships there is always a fantastic atmosphere inside the stadiums. I love to run in front of big appreciative crowds. It is a different situation in road running but just as exciting. When I started to concentrate more on road running I wanted to experience New York, to look up and see buildings. It is amazing.
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