This was my first time competing in the Abbots Langley Tough 10, and I’d been warned that it lived up to its name. The course was said to be challenging, with a lot of road running involved. I was a bit anxious because the route would take us onto main roads, and I wasn’t sure if they’d be closed off or if we’d have to run with cars around us.
The race distance was supposed to be 3km, with plenty of uphill sections, especially towards the end where the climb was going to be tough. On the morning of the race, my dad and I drove around the route so I could get a feel for the roads I’d be running on, and the night before, I’d studied the route map to make sure I was prepared.
I was entered in the Under 11s category, but they’d mixed us with the Under 15s, who were running the 5K. The 5K runners would follow the same path as us, but while we’d be heading to the finish after 3km, they’d continue on. My strategy was simple: get an early lead, maintain it, and if possible, extend it. I thought if I could keep up with some of the older boys running the 5K, it would help push me to win the Under 11s race.
The race began, and I started off well, finding myself around seventh or eighth overall, behind quite a few older boys. I felt confident I was leading the 3K, but it was hard to tell for sure. I just focused on pushing myself and running my best race. The start was on grass, and after completing a loop, we moved onto the main road. To my surprise, running on the road wasn’t as scary as I’d imagined. There were plenty of marshals looking after us, and I concentrated on my own pace. At first, I was on the footpath, but once we turned onto the main road, I ran on the road itself. There weren’t many cars, and I found it much easier to run there than on the footpath, which was uneven due to all the drop kerbs for driveways.
I gave it everything I had, determined to win. At one point, I spotted my old running coach near the finish, cheering on some boys from her running club who were doing the 5K. That gave me extra motivation. Even though they were running a longer race, I wanted to overtake them and show my coach how much I’d improved.
As I approached the final stretch, I turned off the road and headed back onto the grass. I saw my Dad and sister there, cheering me on. They shouted that I was in first place but that someone was close behind me, urging me to sprint. I kicked into top gear and flew down the grass, getting faster as I went. In the end, I won comfortably, finishing with a time of 15:10 and beating the second-place runner by 12 seconds. I think he was a Year 6 boy, so being in Year 5 myself, it felt like a big achievement to have beaten him.
After the race, I checked my watch and was shocked to see that the distance was actually 3.91km, not 3km as advertised! I’d run at a pace of 3:50 per kilometre, which was near my personal best. I felt incredibly proud of myself, especially as it was my first time running this event. Winning was such a great feeling, and it was made even better by the trophy I received at the end.
I’m already looking forward to next year when I’ll be in Year 6, and I’m determined to beat my time and improve even more!
