Today was the Twyford Together Charity Fun Run, and I had entered two races back-to-back. The first was the 1km race for Year 3 and Year 4, and the second was a 2km race for Year 5 and Year 6. Even though I’m only in Year 4, I wanted to push myself and see how I would fare in both competitions. This was my first time taking part in this event, and I was determined to perform well. I also saw it as great practice for the upcoming House Cross Country race at school, which I’ve been preparing for and really want to win.
For the 1km Year 3 and Year 4 race, it was a mixed competition with both boys and girls running together. I was really focused on trying to win, but I knew it was going to be tough. I got off to a strong start and was sitting in 5th place early on. There were three boys and one girl ahead of me at that point, with the girl leading the entire race. As we ran, I managed to overtake two of the boys, leaving just one boy and the leading girl in front of me.
I really tried hard to overtake the boy ahead, but every time I sprinted, he would respond by speeding up even more, making it impossible for me to pass him. It was frustrating, but I kept pushing as hard as I could. In the end, I crossed the finish line in 3rd place, and I was the second girl to finish. I was pretty pleased with my performance overall, especially since my time was 3:58, with a pace of 3:59 per kilometre. It wasn’t a bad pace at all. Looking back, I feel like I might have had a chance to beat the boy, but the girl in front was really talented. I think I could catch up to her in the future, but on the day, she was better than me, and I’m content with my result. There’s always room for improvement, and I’ll keep working to get stronger and faster.
Pretty much straight after that, I had to line up for the Year 5 and Year 6 2km race. Even though I’d just finished the first race, I wasn’t tired at all, and I felt just as excited to compete again. This race was much longer, with three laps instead of the 1.5 laps we ran in the 1km race. It was also more competitive, as I was up against older runners from Year 5 and Year 6, which made me feel like I had to push myself even harder. Despite being the youngest in the race, I gave it my best shot.
I ended up finishing the 2km race in 10th place overall, which wasn’t bad considering the competition. Once again, I was the second girl to cross the finish line, so I was really happy with that. But I know that I can do better next time, and I’m determined to improve my performance. Even though I was pleased with how I did, I left feeling like I had more to give, especially since I’m used to running longer distances.
At the end of the day, I was absolutely thrilled to receive two large medals for finishing second in both races. It felt like such an achievement to perform well in both, especially since I was running back-to-back races with little rest in between. I think I ran well, but I know I can get faster, and that’s my goal for next year. It’s going to be tough, especially as I’ll be moving up to the Year 5 and Year 6 category next year, and I know the same girl who finished ahead of me in the Year 4 race will be in that race too. But I’m determined to train hard over the next 12 months, get faster, and aim to win. I love the challenge of running, and I’m already looking forward to giving it my all next year!
