Mia Thomson is proof that persistence pays off.
After finishing third in last year’s Year 7 girls race, the 13-year-old stormed home to win the Zespri AIMS Games cross-country Year 8 title at Waipuna Park in Tauranga on Sunday.
Mia, from Paraparaumu Beach School, has a family full of long-distance runners and said her plan was always to get ahead from the start.
“I normally like to lead from the front but I was nervous today.”
![Mia Thomson crosses the finish line to win the Zespri AIMS Games cross-country Year 8 title at Waipuna Park in Tauranga. Photo / Zach Quin](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/6M6U2OLSWNB53C2ZE5KFY7HKMI.jpg?auth=3f689b457eeef7b14f9a990a6a583c551e02dd8829f12a3c2bcbc119660b7fc3&width=16&height=13&quality=70&smart=true)