Today, I took part in a race called the Under 11s District League at Mandeville Primary School in St Albans. I was excited and ready to give it my best. As I stood at the start line, I felt a rush of energy, waiting for the horn to blow. When it finally sounded, everyone sprinted forward. But just as I started running, a girl accidentally tripped me, and I fell straight into the mud. It all happened so fast, and before I knew it, I was on the ground while the rest of the runners sped ahead.
I quickly got up, but by then, I was right at the back of the race. I could see the leaders far ahead, and I knew I had a big challenge ahead of me. The girl in first place was at least 20 seconds ahead, but I wasn’t going to give up. I ran as fast as I could, weaving through the other runners and pushing myself to catch up. It was tough, but I kept going, focusing on closing the gap with every step.
As the race went on, I managed to overtake many runners and move up the ranks. I could see the girl in second place just ahead of me, and I was determined to catch her. My legs were moving as fast as they could, and I could feel my heart pounding, but the finish line was coming up too soon. In the end, I finished in third place. I was so close to second, and if the race had been even a little longer, I truly believe I could have won!
The distance of the race was just 1 kilometre, which felt too short for me. I love running much longer races, up to 5 kilometres, because I have really strong endurance and stamina. I know that the longer the race, the better I perform, as I can keep a steady pace and push myself harder towards the end. This is why I was a little disappointed—if only I had more time, I could have caught up completely.
Even though I didn’t win, I was proud of myself for finishing first for my school. I also knew that falling over had cost me at least 10 seconds. The girl who won only finished 5 seconds ahead of me, so if I hadn’t been tripped, I might have been the one crossing the line first. It was frustrating, but I took it as a learning experience.
Next time, I will try to get a faster start and be more careful to avoid getting tripped. I know I have the speed and stamina to win, and I won’t let anything hold me back. This race has made me even more determined to do better in the next one, and I can’t wait for another chance to prove myself!
