122 quotes found
"Essentially, we distinguish ourselves from the rest. If you want to win something, run the 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon."
"I was not talented enough to run and smile at the same time."
"It's at the borders of pain and suffering that the men are separated from the boys."
"It is not gymnastics or ice skating, you know."
"Are you running out of breath? Go faster! (Life credo)"
"Obviously, the health benefits of being vegan are written in stone but I honestly believe the most benefit to me being vegan is that I do not carry the burden of guilt that I would have to endure knowing that I abused others for my own 'benefit'. … Veganism is everything to me. It touches every part of my life. It is my life. I could not begin to imagine living my life any other way. … Often people think we are weak in body and mind. They mistake our compassion for weakness. … My strengths as an athlete are that I am not an athlete for myself. I am doing it for the benefit of others, which makes me work much harder to achieve. I am not selfish enough to want something this badly for myself. It makes me push myself that bit harder knowing that by doing well I can possibly convince others to consider a vegan lifestyle."
"I knew if I quit, nobody would ever believe that women had the capability to run 26-plus miles. If I quit, everybody would say it was a publicity stunt. If I quit, it would set women’s sports back, way back, instead of forward. If I quit, I’d never run Boston. If I quit, Jock Semple and all those like him would win. My fear and humiliation turned to anger."
"No one who works 40 hours a week will beat me in a marathon."
"What’s to see? A woman from Norway, a guy from Kenya, and 20,000 losers."
"Only the disciplined ones are free in life. If you are undisciplined you are a slave to your moods, you are a slave to your passions."
"I felt a lot of pressure yesterday (11 October 2019). I received a lot of calls of encouragement from all over the world. The president of Kenya called me. When you receive so many calls from high-profile people, there is pressure."
"I have tried, I am the first man to run (full marathon) under two hours to inspire many people, to tell people no human is limited."
"It has taken 65 years (after Roger Bannister) for a human being to make history in sport. I am the happiest man to run under two hours. I am here to inspire everyone that it can be done."
"It means a lot to Kenya, running under two hours, together we can make a beautiful world."
"The law of nature cannot allow all human beings to think together. In breaking the two-hour barrier, I want to open minds to think that no human is limited. All our minds, all our thoughts are parallel. But I respect everybody's thoughts."
"100 percent of me is nothing compared to one percent of the whole team."
"I was feeling good. And I think it’s just it’s a challenge. So let us discuss it as a challenge and move on...You know, there is three things: Yesterday is a canceled check. Today is cash. And tomorrow is a promissory note. Let us forget about the canceled checks, let us talk of the cash and the promissory notes."
"I tried to do what was necessary but it wasn’t working. So I put my mind just trying to cope with the pace and just to finish...A lot of thought was going on in my mind but I said, ‘Hey, I can’t quit.’ I’ve been in this sport for a long (time). They say it’s important to win, but it’s great to participate and finish."
"Marathon actually is life. Sport is life. Resilience is one of the recipes for success. If you are not resilient then you cannot go anywhere. So it’s good to be resilient. ... That’s what’s required."
"Today was a tough day for me. I pushed myself as hard as I could but sometimes, we must accept that today wasn’t the day to push the barrier to a greater height."
"As you know, I need to compete in the highest level before I leave the sport. But I want to leave a footprint, the right values, the right spirit, and the right movement."
"He’s very disciplined, hard-working and focused...So many people are looking at him because he has shown us the way to go. You can be like Eliud if you work hard."
"You can’t be like Eliud if you want to sit down and you say, ‘I want to be like Eliud Kipchoge’. Eliud Kipchoge does not sit down and wait to go and win races!"
"Sometimes I watch the video of Eliud Kipchoge, he can train when it’s raining. So sometimes it’s raining and I don’t want to go for training and I say, ‘If Eliud Kipchoge can go for training, we train!’ Who am I to sleep?’...So he inspires so many young athletes, and also us because it seems age does not matter in whatever you are doing."
"The progress of the last 40 years has been mostly cultural, culminating, the last couple of years, in the broad legalization of same-sex marriage. But by many other measures, especially economic, things have gotten worse, thanks to the establishment of neo-liberal principles — anti-unionism, deregulation, and intensified, unconscionable greed — that began with Richard Nixon and picked up steam under Ronald Reagan. Too many are suffering now because too few were fighting then."
"Covid-19 has taught us a lot of lessons. You might be very talented, yes, but at times, depending on circumstances, you may find yourself having nowhere to utilise your talent. It’s been long since the athletes had a meaningful competition and this should serve as a lesson for the future."
"If I have nothing to sacrifice, I have nothing to gain."
"I don't run anybody else's race. When the gun goes off, I must evaluate with my own body and see. Then, as the race develops, I run accordingly. So you can say that I do not have a set tactic for any race."
"I still do intense interval training. I like miles and quarters best. In races I can set my mind, and I believe I could break 2:20 again."
"From the Bible I have learned if you want something good, you must sacrifice."
"“I always felt I could close the gap once I started pushing the pace.”"
"Takahashi’s run in Berlin made it so much easier for me. "It was like she broke a barrier. Before, women didn't think we could go under 2:20. In future, the next generation will run under 2:18. Maybe they will break 2:15 one day."
"If I had been able to run naked today, I would have. "Unfortunately I couldn’t, because my daughter was here watching… She wouldn’t like it if her mother was running without her clothes on."
"I don't know if I will be in the Olympics, but if I am I will try my best."
"“I am very happy to come and compete in the first Rock and Roll San Antonio Marathon. This will be my comeback race,”"
"You can run at any time, any where, given the conditions."
"Everything that is required for you to succeed begins with your mental state."
"When we meet together I remind them that the goal for a championship is like any other big marathon."
"I may not have won gold in Oregon but the silver has definitely opened up many doors for me,"
"The future is still bright for me. In athletics you win and lose some,"
"It was not easy in Oregon when Chepngetich pulled out. She is a champion and her experience would really have come in handy in our campaign for gold."
"She was always encouraging us to push harder and up our game, so when she dropped out she urged us to continue putting pressure on our race adversaries."
"We took up the challenge and gave it our all as the country's reputation was at stake."
"I am happy that at least Kenya was on the podium. But looking at the situation critically, I still feel that I will continue being a star at least for the foreseeable future."
"I am not sure about my next race. But the idea is to go back on the drawing board and I believe I will be stronger and better with proper preparations,"
"Marathons are not for the fainthearted, so kudos to those who wished us well. We will strive to run at the summit as always and pray that we remain in good shape."
"I'm always grateful to be on the starting line and grateful to see the finish line just like every other 30,000 runners out there. I'm just like them. The conditions are tough today, but it's just so great to be here."
"I just feel like there is so much support and I want to do well for everyone else and it's the greatest motivator."
"I think sports have this great opportunity to bring joy and happiness into a world that’s sometimes a bit uneasy and disappointing and sad. It’s a great responsibility and honor to hopefully inspire people to be the best versions of themselves. If there are enough people in the world bringing the best versions of themselves to their work and families and communities, we would hopefully arrive at a place that is better. It’s an honor to be part of a culture and part of a group of women in the United States that’s doing it the right way, full of passion and dedication toward their sport."
"I’m really excited to learn more rather than just focus on who is going to run and are they going to win or not."
"Maybe I’m searching for some very hard or stressful things. I don’t know. Maybe for me to stay in this sport I have to find out what is possible or impossible?"
"Running teaches you patience, and I didn't want to give up. After all, if you don't give up, you just continue."
"I think learning to take something difficult in your stride is something life teaches you."
"So, when I feel like I want to give up or cry, I don’t. And the outcome is much more beautiful."
"I don't challenge myself to be better than the next person, rather better than myself. I think everyone should compete with themselves."
"Challenging yourself is hard work, but it's okay to be scared, have doubts and to be worried. Just don’t run away and quit."
"The real race begins when the pain starts."
"My secret is training. Not any other thing."
"Kelvin Kiptum was a star. Arguably one of the world's finest sportsmen who broke barriers to secure a marathon record."
"Kelvin was an amazingly talented athlete and had already achieved so much. He truly had a special talent and I have no doubt he would have gone on to have had an incredible career."
"I keep myself going on the track by telling myself, fight your fear, conquer your victory and always have hope."
"My biggest influence has always been my commitment, training and working hard."
"It was a hobby my dad I shared - he also loved riding,"
"It was a beautiful childhood. When I went to school, when I looked after our cattle, I literally used to ride a horse wherever I went."
"I followed her until 400m was left - and I suddenly sped up and took the lead,"
"We became friends and she's the woman I admire most."
"After I won gold in Barcelona, many women runners started thinking that it is possible to win big competitions,"
"Our results have gone down very much. Our neighbour and main rival Kenya has taken over on every international competition. We have to take lessons from those competitions, we have to look deep into Ethiopian athletics and identify what went wrong and bring our glorious days back."
"“For everything, you had to run,”"
"“The market was far away from our village, so we'd run all the way. To get water, you had to run. To pick up wood, you had to run.”"
""The moment created a friendship, an emotional moment, and a significant message to the world.”"
"“I’ve watched the video many times down the years, not the race itself, but the 26th lap. It makes me emotional and speechless every time.""
"“I feel very emotional being back, it was a moment that changed my life forever,”"
"“It was an extraordinary journey to get to the Olympics in 1992. So just to be able to walk out to the stadium and represent my country was amazing.""
"“Looking back, it wasn't the 25 laps of the race that mattered, but it was the 26th which made an impact.”"
"“It was a very happy moment for both of us. Even if I can’t speak English, we could feel each other's emotion and I could see Elana smiling,”"
"“It should also be remembered that Elana is not only popular in South Africa now, but also in Ethiopia because of Barcelona 1992. It creates a very good vibe of peace and unity.”"
"“I wasn’t planning on being president but I was the chosen one! People proposed me as the candidate and I was elected,”"
"“Sport taught me how to give back to others, and share what you have for their improvement. It paved the way to a better life and gave me great lessons in leadership for when I became the president.”"
""Every person who participates in sport can learn those values, make friendships, and bridge differences. That’s the real power of sport.”"
"“I’m still passionate and busy in the world of sport and about the impact it can have on people’s lives. I feel that it is my purpose in life, to use sport to impact people in a positive way,”"
""My best days still start with a run in the mountains – I run for good health, energy, and to clear my head!”"
"“A day that starts with a run is a better day. I retired 10 years ago and have run the odd marathon as a charity participant running with people trying to finish their first marathon, but nothing more than that, really”"
"“I loved the opportunities that I had and it was 10-15 of the most amazing years of my life. And I love it where I am now trying to help produce the next generation of South African distance runners.”"
"“I always ran hard and athletes knew when I was in the race it would be a hard race. I ran fast from 1500m all the way up to the marathon. I broke world records, got an Olympic medal and won a world title.""
"“We are an ultra-mad country where people normally think a marathon is for sissies and you have to run 90 kilometres to be considered a proper runner”"
"“I founded it and helped get sponsors and partners on board and there is an emphasis on parallel career development and not just athletics career development.”"
"“I have had the privilege to race many big City Marathons in different cities and countries around the world. Each City Marathon had its own unique but challenging experience, each being emotional and rewarding as I experienced each city’s atmosphere, its people, its cultures and its land-marks. These races have left a long standing connection to the respective City’s. It will be a privilege to bring such a unique experience to Cape Town and for Cape Town to be able to host such an event to so many people in South Africa and around the world.”"
"‘'We believe that sport will continue to play an important role in the sustainable social development and transformation space within South Africa, in particular with respect to Women and transformation, and taking children off the streets.’'"
"“The answer is quite simple: it’s not so much about the training and diet as it is about just one simple action: committing yourself to doing it.”"
"“Nothing could be more devastating to your ability to perform than arriving at the starting line in a less than ideal frame of mind,”"
"“You can benefit from the best training programme in the world, but without a certain degree of motivation and discipline, one can quite easily fail,”"
"“Especially in today’s demanding way of life, you have to be able to push back and understand that for you to achieve that goal, you need to put in the action required to make it happen.”"
"“It requires honesty and pragmatism, asking yourself again if you are disciplined and can you be honest enough to pull yourself back in line when that discipline goes pear-shaped?”"
"“And it’s the prestige of competing in one of the world’s top 10 marathon majors, that we believe the 2014 Cape Town Marathon will become.”"
"I have been dreaming of an outdoor world record for ever, now I want them all: the 1500, the 5000, even the 800."
"Everybody expects me to win the gold medal, I have to do it, especially after what my sister has achieved. I have to do the same, if not better."
"I wanted to train more for the outdoor season than the indoor season, so I changed my training totally, I already have natural speed which I don’t need to work on, so in training I’ve been working more on my endurance. Now I think I can run faster outdoors than I previously thought I was capable of."
"Most of the girls can’t stay with me in training, it just has to be guys."
"I never needed to run to school because it was close to home, I never did much running in school. Unlike other Ethiopian runners, I did not have a running childhood."
"This year has been fantastic, and the big bonus is the marriage on top of the Olympics."
"I won the 5k and 10k at the Olympics and would hope I have done enough to win the athlete of the year."
"I want to improve the records for both distances and the hardest to achieve is the 10k"
"I have never been happier"
"I was not even happy in Beijing.No one has ever done what I did today"
"We have a good coach, who has helped us very much with our training. The coach’s wisdom and the technical activities we do in Bekoji have helped it to produce so many good athletes."
"There’s always a lot of competition, so whenever I win a race at that distance, I’m really thrilled."
"The passion hasn’t decreased"
"Running is in my blood and I still get the same feeling whenever I go out for training that I always have done. It’s always there."
"I'm so excited to have emerged second in my first major marathon. Special thanks go to my husband, who gave me full support and guidance during my preparations because if I was doing it alone, I couldn't have made it"
"When the pacemakers dropped because they were pacing up to 30km, I decided to run my race"
"I had one lady who was running alongside me until the 41km mark, but I decided to make the final push, edged her out, and secured second place"
"While we were lining up, I was scared looking at my fellow elite runners because their personal best times were higher than mine,"
"I asked myself, ‘Will I make it to the podium?’ I decided to run my race, and it worked out well for me"
"If given a chance to represent my country, I will be glad because it’s a global event and prestigious to compete at that level"
"After a break to recover my first training sessions went so well that I really wanted to run another marathon in the autumn. I am in the best shape of my life and did not want to waste it"
"Frankfurt is the perfect race for me. I am really excited to have the chance to come back"
"So far in my training not only am I looking at time but also how I am feeling"
"Mostly I judge myself when we do long intervals on the roads. We run 4km at about 3:30 (per kilometre) pace. Then for one kilometre easier at 4:00 pace. We do that five times. If I finish that feeling like I can continue that’s when I know I am feeling good and ready to go"
"I was very pleased about the result I had - with a very small preparation - for Hamburg, so that result was very good for me. I had a couple of small injuries along the way, so I had to scrap a couple of sessions"
"I want to get a personal best and finish in the top three"
"That is my aim. I want to be in top three. I think 2:23 or 2:22 is within reach"