Today I ran in the Middlesex County cross country championships, and I was really excited to be there. This was the first time I had ever done this race because it is usually held in January, when I am away on holiday. Because of that, I normally miss it completely, so it felt special just to be able to take part this year. The race was meant to be 2 kilometres, which sounded tough but also fun. I couldn’t wait to see how I would do against lots of strong runners. I felt nervous but also proud to be on the start line.
When I arrived, I went for a walk around the course to see what it was like. I honestly could not believe how steep one of the hills was. There was a huge climb that looked absolutely massive, and straight away I knew it was going to be a very tricky run. The hill made me feel a bit worried, but I also felt determined. I told myself that everyone had to run up it, not just me. I decided that no matter how hard it felt, I would try my best all the way.
As the race started, I didn’t get a very good start, which was frustrating. I found myself settling in around tenth place, and I knew straight away that I would need to make up ground quickly. I tried not to panic and focused on keeping a steady pace. By the time we were heading towards the hill, I had moved up to about eighth place. I knew this part of the race would be important, so I prepared myself to work really hard.
The hill climb was incredibly tough and felt like it went on forever. My legs were burning, but I tried to keep running as much as I could instead of stopping. I focused on maintaining my position and not letting anyone pass me. Once we got over the top, the course flattened out and suddenly felt much easier. That was the moment I had been waiting for. I started to overtake as many girls as I could and managed to move into fifth place.
The girl in front of me, who was in fourth place, kept blocking me whenever I tried to pass. It felt like she was slowing me down on purpose, which was really frustrating. I felt like I had enough energy to catch the girls ahead, but being stuck behind her held me back. Even so, I didn’t give up and kept pushing hard. As we got closer to the finish line, she started to slow down, thinking she had already beaten me. That gave me my chance, and I sprinted past her right on the line to finish in fourth place.
I was disappointed at first because only the top three got medals, and I really wanted one. However, when I thought about it properly, I realised there were lots of positives. I am only in Year 5, and this race was for Year 5 and Year 6, and the girls who finished ahead of me were all in Year 6. The day became even better when I found out that my club team had won the team event. Three of us finished in great positions, so we all received a trophy and team medals. I was over the moon and so proud of my teammates. Looking back, I think I ran fairly well, but next time I want to make sure I get past blockers sooner so I can really run at my best.
