Today I took part in the National Primary and Year Seven Cross Country Finals in Coventry. I was really excited because I was running in the Year Five race, and the distance was 2.4 km. It felt special to be there, knowing I was running with the best Year Five boys from all across the country. Even though I hadn’t been feeling well recently, I was still looking forward to the race. I had a bad cough, hadn’t been sleeping well, but I told myself I would give it my all.
When the race started, I managed to get a decent start and was in around fifth place. The beginning was tough as it went straight uphill, which made it even more difficult. About 100 metres into the race, there was a really sharp turn, and I knew this could be a problem. With around 200 boys running, the narrow turning point meant only a few could get through at a time. Sadly, I got pushed over in the crowd, and by the time I got back up, I was near the back of the pack. I knew I had a lot of places to make up.
I kept pushing hard, trying to pass as many boys as I could, even though I wasn’t feeling great. My breathing was heavy, and my chest was sore. After the race, I found out I actually had a chest infection, and now I’m on antibiotics. That explained why I didn’t feel strong during the run. Still, I gave it everything I had and managed to finish in 40th place. Considering I had fallen over and wasn’t well, I think that’s still a good result.
My time was 8 minutes and 33 seconds, and my watch showed the distance as 2.21 km. That means my pace was about 3 minutes and 52 seconds per kilometre. The ground was quite hard, and I wore my spikes for the race, but I’m still not sure if that was the best choice for the conditions. It’s something I’ll think about more next time.
Even though I finished 40th, I felt a bit disappointed. I truly believe that if I hadn’t fallen and if I wasn’t sick, I could’ve been in the top 10. I know I have the ability, but sometimes things don’t go the way you hope. I’ve learnt from this race that it’s really important to get a strong start and stay in front to avoid trouble in the crowd. I also need to be ready to stand my ground and not get pushed around.
This was my first ever nationals run, and I’m proud of how I handled it, especially with everything that went wrong. I’m already thinking about next year when I’ll be in the Year Six race. I’m going to train hard, stay healthy, and make sure I’m ready to give my best. I want to be stronger, faster, and more confident. I believe I can do even better next time.
