Today I ran in the Middlesex Cross Country Championships and it was a race I had been thinking about for a while. The course was 2 kilometres on grass and included a very steep hill which I have run before. I do not really like this course because the hill is extremely hard, but I was determined to do my absolute best. I was racing in the under 11 boys category and I knew I had a good chance of finishing near the front. That made me feel excited but also quite nervous before the start.
When the race began, I got off to a very strong start and moved straight into the lead. I wanted to take control of the race early and set the pace from the front. Running in first place felt good and gave me confidence. I tried to stay relaxed and not go off too fast. I knew it was important to run smart because the course was tough.
As we approached the steep hill, the race became much harder. This is the part of the course I struggle with the most. A couple of boys managed to get past me on the way up the hill, which was frustrating. However, I stayed calm and reminded myself that the downhill section was coming. I knew I could make up time there if I pushed.
Once we started going downhill, I felt much stronger. I used the descent to my advantage and quickly took back the places I had lost. Within a few seconds, I was back in first place and leading the race again. I felt strong at the front, but one boy stayed right behind me. No matter what I tried, I just could not get away from him.
As we got closer to the finish line, I tried to push on and create a gap. Unfortunately, the boy stayed with me the whole way. Just before the line, he managed to overtake me. I tried to fight back, but I did not have much left in my legs. In the end, I finished in second place, which was disappointing because there were only a couple of seconds between us and I really wanted the win.
Even though I was disappointed, there were still lots of positives to take from the race. I ran at a pace of about three minutes and fifty seconds, which is good for a 2 kilometre race with such a hard hill. I was proud to receive a medal for finishing second, as medals were given to the top three runners. I was even happier when I found out my team finished third, which meant I got a second medal as well. Overall, I think it was a solid performance, but next time I want to be stronger at the finish and make sure no one can pass me right at the end.
