Today I took part in the London Youth Games, which took place at Parliament Hill in Hampstead. I was one of eight girls selected to represent the borough of Barnet, and I was really proud to be part of the team. I competed in the Under-12 girls’ race and was determined to do my very best. Parliament Hill is known for being one of the trickiest cross-country courses because it has a very steep hill and usually more than 200 runners in each race. With so many runners taking part, the start is always very busy and exciting.

Before the race, I knew that getting a good start would be really important. The race starts on a big incline, so everyone tries to get into a good position straight away. I also wanted to make sure I didn’t fall over because there were so many runners wearing spikes, and I didn’t want anyone to accidentally tread on me. As soon as the race started, I sprinted up the hill and managed to get into around fourth place. I felt really strong and was starting to catch the girls in first and second place. Unfortunately, at around 700 metres, just when I had moved into third place, I suddenly had a big fall.

Today I took part in the London Youth Games, which took place at Parliament Hill in Hampstead. I was one of eight girls selected to represent the borough of Barnet, and I was really proud to be part of the team. I competed in the Under-12 girls’ race and was determined to do my very best. Parliament Hill is known for being one of the trickiest cross-country courses because it has a very steep hill and usually more than 200 runners in each race. With so many runners taking part, the start is always very busy and exciting.

Before the race, I knew that getting a good start would be really important. The race starts on a big incline, so everyone tries to get into a good position straight away. I also wanted to make sure I didn’t fall over because there were so many runners wearing spikes, and I didn’t want anyone to accidentally tread on me. As soon as the race started, I sprinted up the hill and managed to get into around fourth place. I felt really strong and was starting to catch the girls in first and second place. Unfortunately, at around 700 metres, just when I had moved into third place, I suddenly had a big fall.

Today I took part in the District League competition at Wheatfields Junior School, where I ran a 1.3 km race. The course was 3½ laps, and we were meant to finish on the fourth lap to complete the distance. I was feeling really excited and confident because I wanted to run as fast as possible. My dad had set me a target of running at 3 minutes and 45 seconds per kilometre. Of course, I wanted to win the race too, but I was also determined to get as close to my target as possible. I felt strong and believed I could do it!

As soon as the race started, I managed to get into the lead, but then a very tall girl overtook me. She was running incredibly fast, at around 3 minutes and 15 seconds per kilometre. I knew that this was a very quick pace and that it might be difficult for her to keep it going for the whole race. I stayed calm and carried on running at my own pace. After about 150 metres, she started to slow down, and I managed to zoom past her and take the lead again. I felt really happy and was determined not to let anyone catch me!

Today, I took on the Battersea parkrun 5km race, and I was so excited before the start line! I was running this event to raise money for Scope, an incredible charity that supports disabled children and their families—a cause that is very close to my heart. So far, I have raised just under £4,000, and I feel so proud that I can use my running ability to make a real difference in the world. Knowing that so many people had sponsored me made me even more determined to give it everything I had.

My main goal for the day was to try and beat my previous world record for a nine-year-old girl, which was 19 minutes and 45 seconds. I set that time back in March at the Battersea 5km to qualify for the London Mini Marathon. Because I hadn’t run any competitive 5km races since then, I knew beating it would be a massive challenge. However, I was completely focused and ready to run faster and push harder than ever before so I wouldn't let my supporters down.