Today, I ran at the Radlett Rotary Fun Run. I was really excited to return because I had raced here last year and done very well. This year, I was running in two races — the 1.5 km race first, followed by the 5 km race straight after. I really wanted to beat my time from last year’s 1.5 km race, which was 5 minutes and 57 seconds, but I also had to be careful. I knew I had a much longer and tougher race coming up next, so I needed to save some of my energy.
As soon as the 1.5 km race started, I sprinted ahead to get into the lead. One boy tried to keep up with me for a short while, but I quickly pulled ahead and started creating a big gap. After that, there wasn’t really much competition — I was far in front. I didn’t need to push myself too hard, and I ended up winning the race easily. My time was 5 minutes and 43 seconds, which was faster than last year. The funniest part was that the person closest behind me was my eight-year-old sister!
After the race, there was a small prize-giving ceremony. I was really happy to receive a trophy for being the first boy in the race. It felt even better to see my sister get a trophy too — she was the first girl. Between the two of us, we came first and second overall, so it was a lovely moment for both of us and our family. But there wasn’t much time to celebrate — the 5 km race was starting just after, and I needed to get ready.
I knew the 5 km race would be much tougher. Lately, I’ve been running most of my 5 km races on flat tarmac, like at Battersea Parkrun, where I’ve managed a personal best of 18 minutes and 19 seconds. But today’s course was on grass, with uneven ground and uphill sections. I had never run this route before, so I knew it would be challenging. I started the race feeling OK, but soon my legs began to ache, and I started cramping up — probably because I had already raced the 1.5 km earlier.
Even though I was hurting, I kept going and pushed as hard as I could. My main aim now was to make sure I finished as the first boy under 12, because there was a trophy for that too. In the end, I got a time of 20 minutes and 43 seconds. I was a little disappointed as it was slower than my time last year, but I reminded myself that I had already run another race before and that the course was much harder than I was used to.
At the end of the 5 km race, there was another prize-giving. I was over the moon to find out that I had finished as the first boy under 12 and had won another trophy! That made it two trophies from two races in one morning. I was really proud of myself, even if my legs were tired and sore. I think I ran smart by saving energy in the 1.5 km race, but the 5 km was still very hard. Now I definitely need a rest — my legs are shattered! But I’m really happy to have two more trophies to add to my growing collection.
