Long distance runner Meb Keflezighi spoke to SNTV on Thursday (18th August) ahead of running his last ever Olympic marathon in Rio de Janeiro.

SOUNDBITE: (English) Meb Keflezighi, U.S. long distance runner:

"Before the race I said 'This is the last one'. I struggled through that race very hard, I was in 21st place half-way, and I made a fourth-place finish. And when I finished fourth-place I said 'You know what, I think I can make the Olympic team next time."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Meb Keflezighi, U.S. long distance runner:

"Many people thought my career was over after I won a silver medal, because the silver doesn't make you who you are. What you do day in, day out, makes you what you are. For me I love training, I love hard work and also easy days, to make it all consistent over the years. I have a god-given talent that I want to max out."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Meb Keflezighi, U.S. long distance runner:

"It touched many people by winning the Boston marathon after the bombing, that just ignited people to just say 'You know what? He did it for us'. And I did it for the people, I did it for Boston, I did it for the sport of running. It was always my goal to win an Olympic medal, win New York, and win Boston. That was my goal always."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Meb Keflezighi, U.S. long distance runner:

"You know, 90 per cent is mental on marathon day, whether you are in the Olympic Games, in New York or Boston, or any other. You have to say, that day, at that time, are they going to run their personale best, and am I in personal best shape?"

SOUNDBITE: (English) Meb Keflezighi, U.S. long distance runner:

"Your body will go through ups and downs, I pushed my body, I had pelvis issues, two ruptured quads, knee problems, Achilles tendinitis. No surgery whatsoever, but I put my body through a lot, over 110,000 miles, that's four times around the world."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Meb Keflezighi, U.S. long distance runner:

"You need hope to surive through life, and them participating here is positive, because it plants a seed of what they can do in the future."