Today was such an exciting day because I ran in the Abbots Langley Tough 10 race! It’s a really big event in Abbots Langley where lots of people come to run different distances. I took part in the 3 km race which was for Year 5 and Year 6 runners. I knew it was going to be quite hard because my brother ran it last year, and even though it’s meant to be 3 km, his watch said it was actually 3.9 km! There’s also a really steep hill, so I knew I had to be brave and strong.
When the race started, all the Year 5 and 6 boys and girls lined up together for the 3K. The older runners in Years 7 and 8 were doing the 5K race, and we all started at the same time. Both races followed the same path, but the 3K runners turned off earlier while the 5K runners carried on. I told myself I wanted to try and be the first girl to finish, even across both races, so I could maybe get a trophy.
At the start, I didn’t go as fast as I hoped because it was quite crowded and everyone was pushing to get in front. The first bit was on grass which was quite bumpy and made it harder to run. But then we got onto the road, which was much better! I was wearing my Nike Vaporfly 3 trainers, so once I hit the road, I felt lighter and faster. I started to overtake a few people and that made me feel more confident.
I kept telling myself to keep going, even when the hill came. That hill was so steep it almost felt like I was climbing a mountain! But I didn’t give up—I just kept moving my legs and breathing hard. My goal was to finish in 16 minutes and 45 seconds or faster. I thought that was fair because of the hill and the distance being a bit longer than 3 km.
When I finally saw the finish line, I gave it absolutely everything I had left! I sprinted as hard as I could and crossed the line with a time of 16 minutes and 42 seconds — just under my target! I came fourth overall in the race and… I was the first girl! I couldn’t believe it! I was so proud of myself because it was such a tough run and I really had to work for it.
At the end, I got a trophy for being the first girl, and that made me super happy. I even beat all the Year 6 girls even though I’m only in Year 5, which made it feel even more special. I’m already excited for next year when I’ll be in Year 6. I want to run it again and see if I can beat my time. I can’t wait!
