Today, I ran at Battersea Parkrun for the very first time in my life. I had never been to this event before, so I was a little bit nervous but also really excited. The park looked big and full of people when we arrived. There were lots of runners warming up, chatting, and getting ready. It felt different from other parkruns I’ve done. This one seemed more serious, with many fast-looking adults getting ready to race. I knew it would be a tough run, but I was ready to give it my best.
Since I’m under 11, someone over the age of 18 had to run with me to make sure I was safe. Luckily, a kind lady offered to run with me. I didn’t know her, but she was very friendly and encouraging. She told me she would stay with me the whole time and help me keep a steady pace. That made me feel a lot better. It’s always nice to have someone by your side, especially when trying something new. We started the run together, and from the beginning, I knew it was going to be a challenge.
The course was busy, and there were a lot of fast runners all around. Some of them zoomed past so quickly! I tried not to worry about them and just focused on my own pace. The kind lady running with me kept checking in to see how I was feeling. My legs felt good, and I was breathing well, but I knew I had to save some energy for the final part of the run. I kept telling myself to stay strong and not slow down, even when the run started to feel a bit hard.
When I reached the last 1 kilometre, I suddenly felt a burst of energy. I don’t know where it came from, but my legs felt ready to go faster. I looked at the lady and told her I was going to sprint. She smiled and said, “Go for it!” So I picked up my pace and ran as fast as I could. I weaved through some of the other runners, focusing on the path ahead. The finish line wasn’t too far now, and I just kept pushing with everything I had left.
Finally, I crossed the finish line and stopped my watch. I looked down and saw that I had finished the 5K run in 20 minutes and 37 seconds. My average pace was 4:07 per kilometre. I couldn’t believe it! That was one of my best runs ever. Even though it was my first time at Battersea Parkrun, and even though there were so many adults running, I still managed to do really well. I felt proud of myself for staying strong and for sprinting at the end.
After the race, I thanked the kind lady who had run with me. She said I did an amazing job and that I should be really proud. I smiled the whole way home and told my family all about the race. Battersea Parkrun was hard, but it was also fun and exciting. I hope to run there again soon — and next time, maybe I’ll get an even faster time!
