Emil Zatopek

“It's at the borders of pain and suffering that the men are separated from the boys.”

“There is a great advantage in training under unfavorable conditions. It is better to train under bad conditions, for the difference is then a release of joy.”

“Why should I practice running slow? I already know how to run slow. I want to learn to run fast.”

“Great is the victory, but the friendship of all is greater.”

“When a person trains once, nothing happens. When a person forces himself to do a thing a hundred or a thousand times, then he certainly has developed.”

“If you want to run, run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon.”

“I was not talented. My basic speed was low. I had to work very hard to get there.”

“The marathon is a charismatic mistress. She demands respect.”

“I run to feel alive. Everything else is secondary.”

“To run is to live. Everything else is just waiting.”

“The real purpose of running isn't just to win a race, it's to test the human spirit.”