Ever wondered what it is like to run the London Youth Games cross country race as an 11-year-old.

Richmond's Eric Williams finished 83rd in the U13 two kilometre event at Parliament Hill Fields last weekend - an effort that helped the borough's boys triumph in the team event.

The 11-year-old, one of the youngest in the race, gave us this unique insight into life as a young cross country runner.

"As we stood on the start line, I surveyed the course - at least as much of the course as I can see -  and I wonder who put a huge hill at the start," he said.
 

"I remembered Elaine, our team leader’s last words to us before we lined up: “No pressure, but Richmond have won for the past two years”. 

"I felt the pressure.
 

"Everywhere I looked, I was surrounded by huge boys.  Some had beards.  Are boys with beards still boys?

"I looked down at my feet and compared my spindly sparrow legs to their chunky tree trunks. 

"The starter’s gun fired, and I was run over by 217 other boys double my height and with deadly spikes.

"I picked myself up from the soggy ground and I could see the other runners were already halfway up the hill.
 

"I sprinted after them. They may have had bigger legs, they may have just run me over, but they weighed a lot more than my 28kg, and I would catch them.  
 

"My little sparrow legs propelled me up the hill. I actually went past some people. Big people.

"Finally, I reached the top. How brilliant. What was next? A long flat stretch, so I could regain my energy? 
 

"No. Another hill.

"Higher, steeper, much more like a mountain really.
 

"Hundreds of boys charged into battle and clawed their way up. With no pickaxes or rope, it was not easy and many of us fell.

"Away from the encouraging gaze of our parents we broke in our own unique and special ways: some silently wept, others fell to their knees shouting 'why?' to the skies above.
 

"From the top, at last, I saw my chance. There was a huge downhill, not far from me. I gritted my teeth and charged towards it.
 

"It was a mud bath.  Boys in front of me started to slip, but I just lengthened my stride and the hill did the work.

"I passed the mud bath easily enough and found myself on the home straight.
 

"With 100 metres to go my, embarrassing parents loomed large, jumping and dancing and shouting on the sidelines.  In front of everybody.

"Why do they do that to me?

"I sprinted straight past them at full speed and crossed the finish line.
 

"It was over.  I came 83rd out of 217.
 

"I flopped to the ground and gasped for breath. Like a dying fish."