Mary likes to run. Ever since she was in third grade,
she has been training to run long distances. Now
that she was in eighth grade, her parents agreed to
let her run in the Banana Classic. The Banana Classic
is a ten-kilometer race. It takes place every year in
Mattydale. The winners get a lifetime supply of
peanuts and fruit juice from Paul's Peanut Stand.
Mary practiced by running ten kilometers, twice per
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 past. As she
came across the last kilometer of the race, she was in fourth place. She
picked up the pace and quickly reached second place, just as she could see
the finish line. She ran fast as should in a mad dash to the finish line, but
she just wasn't fast enough to get ahead of leader.