Today I took part in a road race called the Letchworth 5K, but I was running in the 1-mile race instead. It was held on closed roads in Letchworth, so there were no cars, which made it safe and exciting to run on. The race had mixed ages, so I knew it would be really tough because there were lots of older runners, including adults and teenagers. I was racing in the men’s under 20 category, which sounds funny because I’m only 10 years old! There were trophies for the top three boys under 20, and even though I knew it would be hard, I wanted to see how close I could get.
When the race started, I sprinted off quickly and actually managed to take the lead for the first few metres! That felt amazing because there were 182 runners altogether, and many of them were really fast. I tried to keep a strong pace and push as hard as I could. The roads were nice and flat, which helped a lot, but the older runners started to catch up as the race went on.
I kept pushing and didn’t let myself slow down. I could hear people cheering, which made me run even faster. I crossed the finish line with a time of 5 minutes and 39 seconds, which I think is really good for a one-mile race on the road. I came sixth overall, which made me super proud, especially since most of the runners were much older than me.
When the results came out, I found out I had come third in the men’s under 20 category! That was a bit disappointing because it meant I just missed out on a trophy, but I couldn’t really be upset because the boys who beat me were older and a lot faster. It actually made me feel proud that I could even compete with them.
The winner finished with an incredible time of 4 minutes and 52 seconds, which is so fast! I think if I keep training and improving, I might be able to get close to that next year. My goal is to run somewhere in the low 5 minutes or maybe even under 5 if I work really hard.
Overall, I was really happy with my run. I was the youngest person to finish in the top group, and that makes me feel really proud. It wasn’t just a kids’ race — it was against adults and older runners, and I still did well. I can’t wait to go back next year stronger and faster, and maybe even win a trophy!
