The Last Lap
by Ben Liao · Oct 2026
I am the slowest runner in my class. All my classmates know it, and I don't mind. But on the morning of Sports Day, our fastest runner, Jason, stayed home with a fever. Our teacher looked at her list and then at me. "Ben, you will run the last part of the relay," she said. My legs felt like jelly.
The race started. Amy ran first, and she was quick. Then Kai took the stick from her and passed all the other runners. Our class screamed and jumped. Kai ran to me with the stick in his hand. We were in first place. Now it was my turn.
I took the stick and ran as fast as I could. The noise of the crowd went away, and I only heard my own breath. Halfway around the track, a runner from Class 5 passed me. Then another runner passed me. My chest burned, and my legs grew heavier and heavier. But I didn't stop. I kept my eyes on the finish line.
I finished in third place. I sat down on the grass and stared at the ground. I felt . I lost the race for my class. Then I heard a sound. My classmates were cheering for me! Jason was there too, with a towel around his neck. "Third place!" he shouted. "Ben, we were in last place last year! You were !"
That day I learned something. A feels great. But a slow runner in front of the whole school needs real too. Next year I'm going to run every morning before school. Maybe I'll still be slow, but I'll be a little faster. And I'll be of every step.