Today, I ran in the East Anglian Southern Area Under 11 Athletics Championships 2025. I was chosen to represent my school in the Under 11 800-metre race, and I was very excited. This was my first 800-metre race of the 2025 track season, so I really wanted to do well. A few days earlier, I had a poor run in the 1500 metres and I wasn’t happy with my performance. I wanted to forget that race and focus on doing much better in the 800 metres today. I had also run a great 600-metre race on Sunday, which gave me lots of confidence. I knew I had a good chance to run a fast time today.
There were two heats for the 800-metre race, and I was placed in Heat 2. I found out that the winner would be decided by the fastest time across both heats, not just who won their own heat. I really wanted to be the overall winner. In Heat 1, the winning time was 2 minutes and 38 seconds, and I believed I could run faster than that. My goal was to run between 2 minutes 30 and 2 minutes 35. I knew it would be tough, but I felt ready and focused.
When it was time for my race, I was starting in Lane 3. As soon as the starter’s gun went off, I sprinted off the line as quickly as I could. I wanted to take the lead early and control the race. I battled for the front spot during the first 100 to 200 metres, and by the 200-metre mark, I managed to pull ahead. From there, I pushed harder and tried to grow the gap between me and the other runners. I finished the first lap in 1 minute and 15 seconds, which I thought was a solid time.
Even though my legs were starting to feel tired, I didn’t slow down. I knew I needed to keep going strong if I wanted to hit my target time. I gave it everything I had in the second lap and crossed the finish line with a time of 2 minutes and 35 seconds. This was a new personal best for the season! I was very happy with that, especially because it was a big improvement compared to last year. It showed me that I’ve been getting faster and stronger.
Not only did I win my own heat, but I also found out that my time was the fastest across both races. That meant I was the overall winner of the Under 11 800-metre race! I finished more than 10 seconds ahead of the runner-up in my heat, which made the win even more special. I felt proud of myself and really glad I had pushed so hard. After my 1500-metre race didn’t go well, it felt amazing to bounce back like this.
Winning today made me feel like I’m back on form. I now feel ready to keep chasing even better times in my next races. I was also very proud to win for my school and make them proud too. Overall, it was an amazing day and one I won’t forget anytime soon. I’m excited for what the rest of the season will bring!
