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ING NEW YORK CITY MARATHON

November 7, 2004

Hendrick Ramaala

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

Q. Meb said that you skipped the final water station.

HENDRIK RAMAALA: Yes.

Q. And you made your move at that point, was that something that you had planned?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: I was feeling very well. I didn't need anything to drink at that time. And I have seen in the past races, some races like Atlanta, he decided to do the same thing, at the station he didn't want anything. I was feeling good, so I decided I don't need anything; go for the finish.

Q. What was the difference? You're usually known for not running particularly well in marathons, what do you think the difference was today? You had dropped out with a groin injury?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: Yeah, three months, Amsterdam. I know I'm in control there, so it would be bad manners. There for the race -- I'm coaching myself, so I'm thinking, you can be patient, you know some people have to wait for five, six years to make it.

Q. Who is coaching you?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: I'm coaching myself. Self-coached.

Q. But you made it today.

HENDRIK RAMAALA: Yeah, I have to pat myself on the back. (Patting back).

Q. How did you coach yourself differently today?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: I think the main thing was pretty much my preparation for Athens. I didn't finish in Athens, for your information. I killed myself in the training. I trained like a dog, miles, long miles, heat and everything. And then I was in my best shape for Athens. Didn't get anything. The race was finished for me. Then after Athens, because I had the miles, I still had the miles for the preparation before Athens, so my longest time was like 1:40.

Q. Did you train in Paris or in South Africa?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: In Johannesburg. It's warmer.

Q. And your mileage before Athens, what kind of mileage?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: Doing around 180 kilos weekly. For me that's big. If I go 200 I get too tired. My immune system and everything starts breaking. So 180 for me is heavy.

Q. How did you become a runner? When you were a young boy, how did you become a runner and why?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: I couldn't make it big as a soccer player.

Q. Why not?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: I think the coaches didn't like me. (Laughs). No, the playing the team sport -- the best thing about this is it's not a team sport. You don't need anybody to tell you what to do. I was a soccer player, so I didn't make it big. I changed.

Q. How old?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: I was around 20. I was a jogger.

Q. When?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: '92. I was 20.

Q. So how old were you when you ran your first competitive race?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: Competitive race, I turned my first, in 2000. 115:04, 5K.

Q. Have you practiced long?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: Not yet.

Q. Will you?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: I don't know. I'll keep my options open.

Q. Today you didn't cross the tape at the finish line, were you concentrating so much?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: I didn't see, literally. I'm so into -- I didn't see it, sorry.

Q. You have two residences listed in the program here, where do you do most of your training, is it France or South Africa?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: When it's cold, I move. So when it's warm I'm in South Africa, and then June, July, August -- end of May, June, July, August, I'm in New York because it's warmer.

Q. So you came directly from South Africa?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: I came from Johannesburg, yes.

Q. There's a very big field of men together for a very long time in this race, and you felt very good, as you said, were you quite impatient when the field was like still 15, 16 men together? Were you thinking about maybe taking it off at that point?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: No, at this time I told myself, I have to be patient. The miles is too long, so I was sitting behind there waiting and waiting and waiting. I waited and waited and waited.

THE MODERATOR: Was it worth the wait?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: For sure. (Laughter).

Q. What's your specialty? Do you specialize in any particular area of law?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: No, general law. But I love criminal, labor work, criminal law.

Q. Where did you grow up? Is it Pretoria?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: Pernisch (ph), north, 60 kilometers from.

Q. You mentioned the Atlanta Olympics, watching that race, did you watch that race? Or you just heard about it?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: I watched all of the races.

Q. Was that a really big moment for South Africa, for you? What did that mean for South Africa?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: It was a big thing. First black guy to win the gold medal in the Olympics, that we can compete. So it's a special thing.

Q. Was that partly what got you involved in running? Did that inspire you to get involved?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: Yes, that day in Atlanta.

Q. When you came into the park at the very end, you were pretty much alone coming into the park, you had already put Meb away, what's the feeling like when you come into such a park at the end and knowing you're about to win the New York City Marathon? What kind of feeling is that?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: You are really scared that the other guy is going to catch up with you. You are scared that you don't lose it, you don't relax yourself. You are always -- for me, I was scared, I was thinking, the finish is still too far. Only the last hundred meters, I turn back and the guys, they are not there, "oh, this is wonderful."

Q. Can you talk about the mile 17, you managed to survive that and other people didn't, everybody ran 4:33.

HENDRIK RAMAALA: Just the heat -- yeah, we got punished.

Q. Why did you decide to go?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: That it is for me I think that is -- they heat, it's hot there and if you don't go in there you have lost it. Meb, he closed the gap because for me, you lose that, that's it, so I had to follow the guy, no choice. I had to follow.

Q. Do you think we are going to see a bigger surge of South African runners coming forward in major championships?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: One thing for sure, we have a lot of talent. I know guys are not aware, but there's a lot. We have to get it right. If you get it right, in a few years, you'll see runners winning like non-stop. But, we are still working on it. We need to get our things, coaching and, you know, administration to get the runners together. But the talent is there.

Q. Are there a lot of people that you see out there that have talent to be medal hopefuls that still don't get the opportunity?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: Yes, I think, just two medals, it's -- for me, it's not acceptable. We should be getting more because we have the runners. We have lots of talent in South Africa, but, you know, we'll see -- we are getting there.

Q. Would you like to coach other runners since you coach yourself so well?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: I'm going to get the runners together. I know a lot of the young guys who want to achieve. It's not just me. I have a -- (inaudible.)

Q. Do you ever run in the line system or wore were you too young before that?

HENDRIK RAMAALA: No, that was the generation before. Those guys were tough. We still need to catch up with them.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations on your greatest win of your career so far.

HENDRIK RAMAALA: So far. Thank you. You are sweet.

End of FastScripts...

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