My school was six miles away from where I lived on the farm. I had to walk and run, there and back every day, through gorges and over rivers. If I was late, there was a very big stick waiting for me.

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

When I run in Ethiopia, I look out and see eucalyptus trees and rivers.

I'm lucky. The best possible place in the world for training is Addis Ababa, so I am home all the time except when I am racing. I like to be there, near my family, my kids, also the real estate business I run with my wife.

Athletics is in my blood.

When you promise something, you must fulfill it.

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