Today, I woke up feeling excited because the Donkin Cup was finally happening! It had been postponed twice before due to rain, which was disappointing, but luckily, today was the day. Normally, the race takes place in November, but the second postponement pushed it all the way to March. I had been training for over a year to win this race, so there were a lot of people expecting me to do well, and I really wanted to make them proud. The last time I ran in the Donkin Cup was in Year 3, where I came fourth with a time of 9 minutes and 48 seconds for 2 kilometres. I was determined to improve this year and give it my best shot.
I really enjoyed the course this time. It was a mix of grass and tarmac, which made it interesting, and there weren’t any uphill sections to slow me down. The course felt smoother and faster, which helped me focus on keeping a good pace. There was even a pace setter for us to follow, but unfortunately, he was going too slowly for my liking. I decided to overtake him, but thankfully, I knew the route well and felt confident about the circuit. Having a clear idea of where I was going made it easier to keep up my speed and stay focused on winning.
When the race began, I ran my hardest, giving it everything I had. All my training and preparation paid off because, in the end, I won the race by a comfortable 15 seconds. It felt amazing to cross the finish line first, especially knowing how much effort I had put into my training. I’m already setting my sights on next year’s race and aiming to win by an even bigger margin—hopefully over a minute!
It was also a great day for my school house because the person who finished right behind me came second, and he’s in my house too. This made our victory feel even better, knowing we had both done so well for our team. The course was meant to be 2 kilometres, but my watch recorded it as 2.11 kilometres, so it was slightly longer than expected. Despite that, I managed to keep a good pace of 4 minutes and 4 seconds per kilometre, finishing with a time of 8 minutes and 35 seconds.
Overall, I’m really happy with how the race went and proud of myself for achieving my goal. Winning the Donkin Cup has been a big dream of mine, and it feels amazing to see my hard work pay off. This experience has motivated me even more to keep training and improving my times. I can’t wait to compete again next year, and I’ll be working hard to make sure I’m ready to defend my title!
