Today was a really special day because I received the Donkin Cup trophy. This trophy is awarded to the Year 6 winner of the Donkin Cup, and it felt amazing to finally hold it. Seeing my name on the trophy made me feel really proud and happy. It was one of those moments where I stopped and thought about how far I have come. This trophy means a lot to me, not just because I won it, but because of everything that led up to it.

I still remember running the Donkin Cup race back in Year 3. At that time, I had done no running at all and did not even know I was any good at it. I finished fourth overall in the race and came first for my house, Patrick’s. I remember feeling incredibly proud of myself and surprised at the same time. That race was the first moment I realised that running might be something special for me, and I started to wonder what the future could hold.

Today I ran at York House School in a cross country race for under 11 boys over a distance of 1.8 km. I was quite worried before the race because I had been very sick while on holiday in December and had only just recovered. I knew I was nowhere near my full fitness. In my training with my running club, I have been much further behind than I was before I got ill. Even so, because I was representing my school, which means a lot to me, I wanted to try my best and see what I could achieve.

Normally in cross country races, I would expect to run at around 3:35 per km on a fairly flat course. On a harder course, my normal pace would be closer to 3:45 or 3:50 per km. This course was quite easy, so if I had been fit I would have expected to run at least 3:40 per km. Knowing that, I decided to stick to my usual race tactic and try to take the lead early. I wanted to race positively even though I knew I was not at my best.

Today I ran in the Middlesex Cross Country Championships and it was a race I had been thinking about for a while. The course was 2 kilometres on grass and included a very steep hill which I have run before. I do not really like this course because the hill is extremely hard, but I was determined to do my absolute best. I was racing in the under 11 boys category and I knew I had a good chance of finishing near the front. That made me feel excited but also quite nervous before the start.

When the race began, I got off to a very strong start and moved straight into the lead. I wanted to take control of the race early and set the pace from the front. Running in first place felt good and gave me confidence. I tried to stay relaxed and not go off too fast. I knew it was important to run smart because the course was tough.

Today I ran in the Metropolitan League race at Wormwood Scrubs. I don’t remember racing at this venue before, so everything felt new. When we arrived, I was excited but also a bit unsure because I didn’t recognise the place at all. It felt strange standing on a course I’d never seen, but that also made it interesting.

Before the race, I did my usual walk around the course to see what it was like. Most of it was fairly dry, which was good, but there was one section that was very muddy. I knew that part could be tricky and slow everyone down. Because of that, I decided I would need a strong start so I could get into a good position before reaching the mud.