In "Bridge to Terabithia," Jesse was trying to beat the other boys at running. Jesse Aarons practices throughout the summer because he wants to become the fastest runner in his grade and finally defeat his rival, Gary Fulcher.
The opening chapters establish running as Jesse’s main athletic ambition. He trains alone in the cow pasture before school, hoping that winning will earn respect from his classmates and approval from his demanding father. The school race is treated as a boys’ contest, which makes Jesse especially confident about his chances.
That confidence changes when Leslie Burke enters the race and outruns everyone, including Jesse. Her victory embarrasses him at first, but it also begins the unlikely friendship at the heart of the story. A common mix-up is remembering the event as a general sports competition; the specific activity is a footrace, or running race. The 2007 film preserves this important early scene from Katherine Paterson’s 1977 novel.