Haile Gebrselassie is all too happy to reveal what drives him to get up at 5.30am every day on his way to clocking up 160 miles in training a week.
The answer lies within the heart of every runner, fast or slow.
"It is all about the people. If I didn't race I would miss the supporters and the other runners, my friends," says the Ethiopian icon.
"When you're tired and you hear someone from the crowd saying: 'You can do it', that just spurs you on.
"I love it, it is motivation. It is the cheers that I'd miss.
"I want to keep running for as long as possible, I want to keep training, I want to get out there and sweat.
"I need all of that and the competitions because they give you a focus. Having an event to do pushes you on, whatever level you are at.
"You do the mileage, do the strength training and then the speed work."
The 37-year-old has won everything in athletics from Olympic gold on the track to being the current world marathon record holder in 2hrs 03mins 59secs, set in Berlin in September 2008.
And he fits it all in around a nine-to-five desk job running his thriving business empire in Ethiopia, employing 600 workers.
The world's greatest ever distance runner was in Newcastle yesterday to sign up for the 30th Bupa Great North Run along with 54,000 competitors on September 19.
With 'Haile 1' on his vest, Gebrselassie will complete the last remaining gap on his roll of honour in the Newcastle to South Shields classic, which is backed by the Daily Mirror. He is also "dreaming" he can have a crack at the halfmarathon world record of 58mins 23secs set by Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea in Lisbon in March.
That's a challenging 32 seconds faster than his personal best - but winning the Great North Run is Gebrselassie's priority.
To put those times into context, miles churned out at 4min 30 pace, try sprinting up the street flat out... and carry on for another 13 miles. And still lose.
Gebrselassie is still driven to succeed on and off the roads. His legendary status has brought riches that have helped him build a five-star resort in Ethiopia, invest all his cash back home and help inspire a country once infamous in the West for famine, on the slow road to economic stability.
His schedule will not be matched by any of the fun runners taking to the start line in September.
But he modestly explained his regime: "The morning training is always the most important.
"Normally, I am training for about three hours, and when it's two months before a competition, I will be doing about 35k in that morning slot.
"In the early evening, I spend most of my time in the gym doing strength work.
"But even if I am in the gym, I will still do 10k on the treadmill and another 10k on the bike.
"Then I will do some strength training. That is seven days a week, except for Sunday, when I only do the morning session.
"In total, I will normally run 160 miles or 220k in a week. That is the average."
But there is nothing average about this African phenomenon. He has a conscience about his homeland. He owns two hotels, a fitness centre, a cinema, a car dealership, while 1,200 kids go to the two schools he opened.
He said: "I have an opportunity to invest my money all over the world, but I am doing it in Ethiopia, and hopefully it will help. It is not enough for a whole country, but hopefully it will show others what is possible."
Gebrselassie, who lives in Addis Ababa with wife Alem and daughters Eden, Melat and Batiy, was signed up to race on Tyneside in 2000, but tore his Achilles winning gold at the Sydney Olympics.
He added: "This year is special because it is the 30th birthday... it made me ask Brendan Foster: 'How old are you now?' It is wonderful and a great event, as an elite race and mass participation.
"It is a race as an athlete you cannot miss in your career.
"I have run once before in the North East, in the Durham Cross Country. I won the race in 1994. All I remember is that it was cold and there was snow above my ankles.
"Hopefully, things will be a bit different in September!"
Amazing roll of honour..
Born on April 18, 1973 in the Asella, Arsi Province, Ethiopia, he was one of 10 children.
Ran 10km to school and 10km back every day as a child, carrying his books.
Burst on to international running scene in 1992, winning the 5,000m and 10,000m at world junior level. Won first of four world championship golds outdoors in 1993
Broke first of 27 world records in 1994, running the 5,000m in 12mins 56.96secs, breaking Said Aouita's mark.
By 1995 he smashed the 10,000m record by nine seconds running 26mins 43.53secs, then smashed the 5k world record by another 10 seconds.
Won two Olympic 10,000m golds, three world indoors golds at distances as low as 1500m. Multiple big city marathon winner including Amsterdam, Berlin and Dubai.
Held world records from 3,000m to marathon making him the complete distance runner.
In June, 2007, he ran a world record distance in an hour - 21,285 metres. Set his current marathon world record in Berlin in 2008 running 26 miles in 2hr 3mins 59secs.
His amazing range of personal bests include a 3mins 52secs mile at Gateshead 11 years ago, an 8mins 1secs two-mile best, 44mins 24secs for a 10-mile road race,and 58mins 55secs for the half-marathon.
He wants to enter politics when he ends his running career.
