There was theme at Friday's Dave Sanders Invitational.
If you haven't already read the title of this article, the theme was patience.
And yes, it did pay off.
Case in point: Nolan Hoffman.
Three minutes into the boy's Division 2 race the Mead junior was running barely inside the top-10, and several seconds off the leaders.
Just over 12 minutes later Hoffman's only challenger was his own shadow, as he sprinted between the bright red fencing towards the finish alone.
Hoffman not only picked up the fastest time of the day, but he also crushed his previous personal best, running 15:55 for his second win of the season.
Add that personal bests on the Dave Sanders course aren't exactly a common thing - the thick grass and rolling hills tend to slow things down.
But not for Hoffman.
His early patience paid off in a big way.
Behind him Cheyenne Central's Jacob Frentheway held on for a runner-up finish, crossing the line in 16:07, while Battle Mountain's Sullivan Middaugh finished a tenth-of-a-second ahead of Frentheway's twin Jason Frentheway, with both running 16:23.
Cheyenne Central's Frentheway 1-2 punch was aided by Tristan Knueppel and Bridger Brokaw, who also cracked the top-10, finishing 7-10. The Wyoming squad ran away with the team title, tallying 39 points. Battle Mountain took second with 61, while Mead took third with 71.