Today, I took part in a school athletics competition held at the Royal Masonic School in Rickmansworth. It was a big event, and lots of schools were there to race. I was running in the 600-metre race, which is one and a half laps around a normal athletics track. But this race was not on a normal track—it was on grass, which made it more difficult. Grass can be uneven and a bit slippery, so you have to be careful where you step. Still, I was excited to run and ready to give it my best.

Each school was allowed to have two runners in the race, and I was one of the two picked to run for my school. When the race began, I sprinted off the line quickly and got into the lead straight away. I felt strong and focused. The person right behind me was my teammate, also from my school. It felt good to know that we were both in front. I kept running hard, trying not to slow down. Even when I started to get tired, I made sure to keep pushing forward and not let anyone pass me.

Today, I took part in the Wheathampstead 2K and 10K Fun Run. This event is really special to me because it takes place close to my school, and every year, lots of girls from my school sign up. I was especially excited to run this year because I remember how I felt last year. I had run the 2K race and finished with a time of 09:01. I was the 5th girl to cross the line, and I felt quite disappointed at the time. Since then, I’ve trained hard and improved a lot, and I really wanted to see how much better I could do.

In the lead-up to the race, I thought about the girls who had beaten me last year. I had looked at their names and remembered how they ran. I set myself a big goal this year—I wanted to beat all of them. More than anything, I wanted to be the first girl to finish and win the first-place trophy. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy. It was a mixed Under-14 race, and I’m only 8 years old. But I felt ready and confident. When the race was about to start, I made sure I was right at the front of the line to get a good start.

Today, I took part in a running event called the Charnwood AC Open Meeting. It was held at Loughborough University, which is known for its amazing sports facilities. I was really looking forward to the race, especially as it was taking place in the evening at 6:50pm, after a full day at school. I had been thinking about it all day, and I couldn’t wait to get on the track and give it my best. As soon as school finished, my dad picked me up, and along with my brother, we started our drive to Loughborough. It took about two hours to get there, so we had lots of time to talk about the race and get excited.

I was entered into a 600 metre race, which is one of my favourite distances. What made it even more exciting was that my brother was running in the same race as me. I had a goal in mind – I really wanted to beat my personal best time, which I had set on 3rd May. That time was 2 minutes and 4 seconds, and I had been training hard ever since. I had heard so many great things about Loughborough University and their sports programmes, so I was also keen to see the place for myself. I think I’d love to study there one day because of all the brilliant sports facilities.

Today, I took part in the Radlett Rotary Run and ran in two races — the 1.5 km race for under 11s and the 5 km race for anyone aged 7 and over. I was really excited to return this year because I had done well last time and wanted to do even better. Last year, I finished 4th in the 1.5 km race, while my brother came 1st. This time, I really hoped we could finish 1st and 2nd together — him in first and me just behind.

At the start of the 1.5 km race, I got off to a good start and settled into 4th place. After about 300 metres, I managed to move into 2nd position, right behind my brother. I didn’t want to let him go, so I pushed myself as hard as I could to stay close to him the whole way. The race is all run on grass, with a steep hill to climb, so it’s quite tricky. But I stayed focused and determined.