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

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

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.

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

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'.

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.

You lose the speed before the stamina.