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NYC HALF MARATHONMarch 16, 2012Firehiwot DadoNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK Q.  The last time you were in New York you did very well. How did winning New York change your life? How did it change the way you think about yourself as a runner? FIREHIWOT DADO: New York is a very big race, and praise God, I won it. It's given me a lot of confidence for future races and for my preparation. It's really given me a morale boost, and I'm very happy. Q. Is that the way you felt the minute you came across the line? Did you know that this was going to give you more confidence in the future? FIREHIWOT DADO: The race was a major race, and so even to imagine winning it is a pretty big thing. A lot of the feelings came later, but even at that point I was very happy. Q. When you returned home to Ethiopia, what was the reaction there? FIREHIWOT DADO: It was very nice. First my family was very happy and had a very nice reception for me, and I was very grateful. After that the friends and many of the people I train with were very happy for me, and they also gave me a great reception, and I was very happy. Q. When you say reception, were there parties and real festivities? FIREHIWOT DADO: Yes. Q. So now when you go out to train every day, do you think in your mind, I won New York, I won New York, I can do anything? FIREHIWOT DADO: Well, yes. When you've won a big race, you know that what's ahead of you is similar big races, so I do think of it, and I know that with God's help, I can have a major achievement again, and I look forward to running in major races, and God willing, doing well, and I've been preparing with that in mind. Q. In the last few miles of New York, you were running with Tirunesh Dibaba, another Ethiopian. What goes through your mind, it could be either one, it could be either one, but it's going to be Ethiopia? FIREHIWOT DADO: Well, it's true there were just the two of us, but it is a competition, and it is a very big race. So at that point you're thinking, even though the two of us are together, you think about how you yourself can win. And at that point, that's what I was thinking about, how am I going to win. Although we were there together and we are both Ethiopian and we are both friends and I was very happy about us being there together at that point. Q. Coming back to New York City, what does it feel like to be back in the place where you won the marathon? FIREHIWOT DADO: I'm very happy. Even though I had already been invited at that point, so I knew that I would be coming back. But to actually come back here and know that this is the place that I was victorious, I'm very happy about that. Q. How has your life changed in the few months between the marathon and now? FIREHIWOT DADO: I had run marathons before that, but because this is a big race, as I said earlier, I'm very happy, and knowing that I've won New York opens up a lot of paths for the future, and it's just made me feel very good. Q. Before the race last year, before the marathon, when you came, did you think you could win? FIREHIWOT DADO: No, because I expected that I could be a good competitor, and I knew that I would put up a big fight. And that was the expectation that we had, that I would be a good competitor, because there are a lot of strong competitors there, people like Mary, who has run 2:19 as her personal best. So to run with them, I knew that I could run well, and that's really what I was thinking. But once I was in the race, I started to think about how I could medal, and then after that it went very well for me. Q. Many great Ethiopians have won the Boston Marathon. How important would it be for you to win in Boston in that tradition? FIREHIWOT DADO: Oh, Boston. Ever since my manager came to Ethiopia and told me that I had been invited, from that point until now, my thoughts are all towards Boston. It's true, Ethiopians have won there, and it would be a really great thing to win there and to have a repeat victory in Boston would be really wonderful. I've been preparing for it, and after this when I go back I'll continue to prepare for it. I really want to win, and that's what I'm dreaming of. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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