My dad signed me up for this fun run for the first time, and I was really excited to take part. However, I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed at first because I had to enter the Year 4 and 5 race, which was only 1.3km. I had really wanted to run in the Year 6 and 7 race, which was 2.6km, but because of my age, I wasn’t allowed. I love running longer distances – my favourite is the 5K ParkRun – and I always feel like I perform better in longer races where I can really use my stamina.
That said, I was still determined to do my best and win the Year 4 and 5 race, which was for the Under 10s. My strategy, as always, was to take an early lead, then try to extend it and wear everyone else out. This time, I came with my sister and a friend from school. My friend is in Year 6, so he was running in the Under 12s, 2.6km race, while my sister was entered in the Girls’ 1.3km race.
My friend’s race was first at 12:35, and he absolutely smashed it! He ran so well and won by a huge margin. I was really proud of him – he worked hard and deserved that win. It was great to see how happy he was when he finished.
Next up was my sister’s race at 12:55, and just like my friend, she also did brilliantly. She came first by a long way, and I couldn’t have been prouder of her. After watching both of them win, the pressure was on me to do the same. But to be honest, I don’t really feel pressure when it comes to running – I feel like I was made for this. I love that moment at the start of the race when I know it’s time to run.
When my race finally started, I took the lead straight away. I was feeling really motivated and determined to win. I kept pushing myself to accelerate and stretch the gap between me and the rest of the runners. My lead grew bigger as the race went on, and in the end, I won comfortably with a time of 4:58, running at a pace of 3:37 per kilometre. I was really proud of my performance, and it was such a special moment to see that all three of us – my friend, my sister, and I – had won trophies that day.
I thoroughly enjoyed the run and can’t wait to come back next year for the 2.6km Under 12s race. I’m already looking forward to it, and I’m determined to win that one too!
