Haile Gebrselassie — Athlete born on April 18, 1973,

Haile Gebrselassie is a retired Ethiopian long-distance track and road running athlete. He won two Olympic gold medals over 10,000 metres and four World Championship titles in the event. He won the Berlin Marathon four times consecutively and also had three straight wins at the Dubai Marathon. Further to this, he won four world titles indoors and was the 2001 World Half Marathon Champion... (wikipedia)

In the rainy season, sometimes to get to the first lesson we had to run really quick, because we had to cross the river to school and we'd have to go up and down the bank to find a place to cross because there is no bridge.
When you run the marathon, you run against the distance, not against the other runners and not against the time.
My father thought sport was something fun - he didn't know it was a way to make money. Then I won a Mercedes at the world championships and I gave it to him. From the moment it arrived my father said: 'Good, you can support not just yourself but me too'.
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.
Once you have commitment, you need the discipline and hard work to get you there.