Marathon Taikai is an event that is held for all the kids at Nakajo Elementary every year.  Dusty has been practicing for the event 2 or 3 times a week. Running around the block and training at school. He’s very competitive and wanted to beat the kids in his class, if not the whole 1st grade.
We were a little worried about the weather this morning, being rainy and all. But it cleared up in time and the event was on.

Ready to Run

Ready, Set

Unfortunatly, when the gun went off to start the race, some big kids knocked him down in the initial frenzy.  All the kids were jumping over him and he couldn’t get up till they had all passed. He was heartbroken, not only couldn’t he win but he was dead last.

GO!

Getting a Late Start

He didn’t give up though... he got up, tears running down his face and ran his little heart out to catch up.  Toward the end he managed to overtake the 2 retarded kids and the little crippled boy to avoid being last. But still, he was dissapionted, so we told him how proud of him we were because he didn’t give up and how these kinds of things build character... he told us to ‘Shut up’