Mary likes to run. When she was in third grade, she began training to run long distances. When she was in eighth grade, her parents agreed to let her run in the Banana Classic. The Banana Classic is a ten-kilometre race. It takes place every year in Mattydale. The winners get a lifetime supply (提供) of peanuts and fruit juice.
Mary practised by running ten kilometres, twice every day. On the average run, she would finish in thirty minutes. Last year's winner finished the race in twenty—six minutes and ten seconds!
On the day of the race, Mary ran faster than she ever had in the past. As she came across the last kilometre, she was in the fourth place. She picked up the pace (步伐) and quickly reached the second place, just as she could see the finishing line. She ran as fast as she could in a mad dash (冲刺) to the finishing line, but she just wasn't fast enough to catch up with the first runner.
