Today I unexpectedly ran my first Welwyn Fun Run! I had no idea I’d be taking part until I woke up that morning. My dad had spotted the race online the night before, so instead of doing our usual ParkRun at Pitshanger Park, we decided to give this new event a go. It was a 2K race for children aged 4 to 14, and while I was excited to run, the weather wasn’t exactly on my side—it was raining when I woke up, and I knew the day ahead might not be the most pleasant.

When we arrived at the venue and parked, it was still pouring down. We had a short, soggy walk to the field, but thankfully, by the time I picked up my race number, the rain had stopped, even though the skies still looked grey and gloomy. I took a moment to check out the course, which was entirely on grass, and noticed a steep hill that looked like it would be a real challenge. There were trophies on display too—one for the first boy and one for the first girl—which definitely motivated me even more!

Today I ran in the Wheathampstead 2k Fun Run for the very first time. It’s a local event, recommended by my school, and I was really determined to do well and run as fast as I possibly could. There were three trophies on offer for the top 3 boys and top 3 girls under 15, and I had my sights set on placing in the top 3 girls. I knew it would be tough, especially since I’m only 7 and in Year 3, but I was up for the challenge.

From the start, I pushed myself as hard as I could. I settled into a good pace and tried to keep it up throughout the race. The course was quite challenging, with rough terrain, but it was all on grass, which I actually enjoyed. By the end of the race, I was proud to finish in 25th place out of 533 runners—not a bad result at all! I was also the 5th female to cross the finish line. The trophies were being awarded to the top 3 girls under 15, and the girl who finished 4th was in the Under 17 category, so in reality, I placed 4th in the girls Under 15 group.

Today was an amazing day as I ran in the Radlett Rotary Fun Run, and I couldn’t have been more excited! My brother had run here last year, so I was really looking forward to having my own go this time. My dad had entered me into two races: the junior 1.5km race for the Under 11s and, right after that, the 5K race.

I love running 5K adult ParkRuns, so I wasn’t too worried about the distance of the 5K. However, I was a little nervous about doing the 1.5km race first and then going straight into the 5K afterwards. Still, I was determined to give it my all and felt confident I could do well. The weather wasn’t ideal—it was raining heavily, and I knew it was going to be a real test of endurance.

Today I competed in the Watford Harriers Junior Challenge at Cassiobury Park, and I was super excited to take part in two races! My dad had entered me into both the 1.2km Under 8s mixed race and the 2.5km Under 14s mixed race. I was looking forward to running, especially since I’d get to see some of my old running friends from Watford Harriers.

The first race was the 1.2km, which was just one lap of the park. I got off to a strong start and quickly found myself in 6th place, with five boys ahead of me. I kept pushing and managed to overtake one boy, finishing in 5th place overall. My time was 5:16, with a pace of 4:16 per kilometre. I was really happy with the result, especially because I was the first girl to cross the finish line! Knowing that there were trophies for the top three girls, I was already feeling excited.