Today was my second cross country race as part of the Under 11 District League, and this time it was held at Fleetville School. Six girls from my school across Years 4, 5, and 6 were selected to compete, with the top four finishers earning points for our school. With over 70 girls from various schools participating, I knew it was going to be a challenging race, but I was determined to win. After finishing 2nd in my last race, I was even more motivated to take the top spot this time and help my school climb the league rankings.
The race was set to be three and a bit laps around the grassy fields of the school. Before the race, I ran a few warm-up laps with a friend from school, just to loosen up. When it was finally time to race, I put on my spikes, focused, and got ready to give it my all. The starting formation was a bit tricky; each school had six runners, but only two were allowed to start at the front. The next pair lined up behind them, followed by the last two runners at the back. Since I was part of the final trio for my school, I started near the back, which felt like a bit of a disadvantage. But I refused to let that hold me back. I was determined to make up ground as soon as the race started.
When the whistle blew, I sprinted hard right from the start, trying to get ahead as quickly as possible. Within moments, I had pushed my way up to around 5th place, but I wasn’t satisfied. I kept pushing, determined to reach the front. Halfway through the first lap, I managed to secure 2nd place, with only one runner ahead of me—another girl from my school. Although I was determined to win, I secretly hoped she would hold on to 2nd place, so our school could claim both the top spots. Towards the end of the first lap, I found my moment and overtook her, kicking hard to try and extend my lead.
She wasn’t easy to shake off. She’s in Year 6 and a lot bigger than me, so keeping my lead was a real challenge. Normally, I can extend away once I get in front, but this time she was right on my heels, making me work for every step. By the time we were nearing the end of the second lap, my stamina kicked in, and I began to pull away. I was gearing up for the third and final lap when, to my surprise, the race official pointed me towards the finish line!
Confused, I crossed the line, unsure of what had just happened. I’d been told it was three and a bit laps, but it seemed like the race had ended after only two and a bit. It turned out there had been some mix-up, with some staff saying it was three laps and others saying two. But either way, I was ecstatic to have won! It didn’t matter how many laps there were—I had crossed the finish line first, and that was what counted.
My school performed really well overall, and the other girls on my team also had great results. I was so happy for them because it truly felt like a team effort. I’m especially proud because, being in Year 4, I was racing against mostly Year 5s and Year 6s who are all much taller and bigger than I am. But that didn’t stop me! My final time was 4:04, with a pace of 3:56, which I was really pleased with. I felt strong and fast throughout the race, and I’m hopeful I can win again at the next school cross country event.
I can’t wait for the next race—I’m already thinking about how I can improve and help my school win the league!
