LESSON 6 – TEXT COMPREHENSION – A PERSONAL ACHIEVENT

My First Marathon

Running has never been easy for me, but it has always fascinated me. Three years ago, I decided to challenge myself and train for a marathon. At first, I couldn’t even run two kilometres without stopping, but I didn’t give up. I trained every day after work, even when it was raining or I felt tired.
After six months, I ran my first half-marathon, and it was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Crossing that finish line felt incredible — I had finally proved to myself that I could do it. A few months later, I signed up for the full marathon.
The race took place in Madrid last spring. I woke up at 5 a.m., ate a banana, and joined thousands of other runners at the starting line. The first 20 kilometres went smoothly, but then I started to feel pain in my legs. I wanted to stop, but I kept remembering how far I had come.
When I crossed the finish line after four hours and twenty minutes, I cried. I have never felt so proud in my life. Since that day, I have continued running, and I’ve even inspired some of my friends to start training too.