By Keri Welham

Wild weather was no match for the incredible athletes hitting the Waipuna Park hills during an action-packed cross country competition.

Two best friends, two pairs of lucky pink socks, and two matching cross country gold medals.

Year 7 girls’ Zespri AIMS Games cross country champion Lucie Thomson, 11 of Paraparaumu Beach School, and Year 8 girls’ champion Lucia Harfitt, 12 of Raumati Beach School, bought their matching socks at Bayfair the day before the race.

“I will wear them again next time,” said Lucie after she broke the AIMS record with a time of 11:01:83 – 25 seconds ahead of the next competitor home, Lou McDonald Limacher of Rāroa Normal Intermediate. Third was Maggie Barke of Kapakapanui School.

Lucie and Lucia train together on the hills above Wellington where they’ve encountered plenty of the mud that defined the AIMS course this year.

Under persistent rain, athletes slipped to their knees to crawl up the infamous Waipuna Park hill known as The Grunt, and sodden shoes were abandoned on the track.

The starting line of each race was split so those with spikes were divided from those running barefoot or in sports shoes. After about 200m, they merged into one field.

Course co-ordinator Malcolm Taylor, who has been at every AIMS since the weeklong intermediate-aged sporting tournament began in 2004, said dominant performances at AIMS were noted by spotters from US schools.

He can recall every AIMS cross country winner back to the inaugural Year 7 girls’ champion, current Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell of Kaitao Intermediate.

Results in previous years suggested bare feet had an edge but, in 2025, the four individual champions wore spikes.

Lucia led the field of 164 Year 8 girls, with a time of 10:59:62, ahead of Mila Moore of Cambridge Middle School and Sophie Reid of Aquinas College. 

The Year 7 boys’ champion was fellow Wellingtonian Johnson Li, 11 of Newlands Intermediate, in a time of 10:43:85, ahead of Jayden Edwards of Hukerenui School and Joshua Addenbrooke of Halcombe School.

Fastest runner of the day was Year 8 boys’ champion Jacob Radcliffe, 12 of Mairehau Primary School, ahead of Elijah McDermott of Glen Eden Intermediate and Will Parkinson of Sacred Heart (Auckland). 

Jacob specifically trains in mud and ran the 3km course in 10:21:12. 

Tamahau Hicks, 11 of Paeroa Christian School, won his division in the Athletes with Disabilities race, while Mercedes Whittaker, 11 of Te Puke Intermediate, was the fastest girl home. The championship relay was won by Ōtūmoetai Intermediate and St Peters (Auckland) won the Open Relay.

Article added: Tuesday 02 September 2025