Today, I ran in the North West London League cross-country fixture in Greenford. I was representing my running club, and the race distance was supposed to be 2km. I had raced on this course before, so I knew what to expect. Last year, it was extremely muddy, and it was one of my first-ever cross-country fixtures for my club. I remembered how tough it had been, but I was determined to do better this time.
When I arrived, I took a warm-up run around the course to check the conditions. Just as I expected, it was extremely muddy, especially at the start. I knew that getting a good start would be really important. I didn’t want to get stuck in the mud or caught behind too many runners. My plan was to start fast, keep pushing, and try to stay with the leaders of the race.
When the race began, I got off to a brilliant start. I was fighting for second place, running strong and keeping up with the front runners. I tried my best to hold my speed, but the first two runners were incredibly fast. No matter how hard I pushed, I just couldn’t keep up with them. Eventually, I had to settle into fourth or fifth place, but I didn’t give up. I kept pushing as hard as I could.
The course was really challenging. The mud made it harder to run, and there was also a bridge we had to go over. Running across it in spikes was tricky, and I had to be careful not to slip. Despite the tough conditions, I stayed focused and kept going. I wanted to finish strong and get the best result possible.
In the end, I finished in sixth place, which I’m extremely proud of. My final time was 7 minutes and 12 seconds, which is a huge improvement from last year. It shows how much I’ve grown as a runner, and it makes me even more determined to keep improving.
Next year, when I return to this track, I will be in Year 6. My goal is to win this race for my team. I know I still have room for improvement, but I’m going to keep training, keep pushing, and keep believing in myself. One day, I know I can reach the top!
