COEUR d'ALENE - About midway through the 29th annual Spring Dash, fleet-footed Nick Mosey turned on the jets.

Pushing hard, the young runner from Spokane pulled away from the lead pack around mile 4. When he sprinted across the finish line on Front Avenue, his long hair blowing in the breeze, the digital clock read 25:34.

Of the nearly 1,400 racers who circled the 5-mile course on Sunday morning, Mosey was the swiftest.

"I thought I'd be up near the front. I didn't think I was going to win," he said. "I was excited. It's always fun to win a race."

Mosey is training for the San Diego Marathon this June, and plans to run Bloomsday on May 1.

"If you took away the wind I think it would be a really, really fast course. It was really windy on a few stretches," he said. "Overall I think it was a pretty cool course. The lake's pretty beautiful."

The Spring Dash, one of the Lake City's most popular road races, started in front of the Coeur d'Alene Mines Corporation building. Runners galloped down Front Avenue, turned south on Eighth Street and headed for Sanders Beach.

"It was really good. I really like this race. I like the distance," said 13-year-old Jordan O'Shea, a seventh-grader at Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy. "I like running a lot. I'm kind of training for Bloomsday right now."

Jogging along the windswept shores of Lake Coeur d'Alene, participants were blasted by gusts of cold air. But they soldiered on.

"It was not bad running, except when you got into the wind," said Jerry Stevenson of Rathdrum. "The wind was a little chilly - it was coming off the lake. It was a little cool."

He said his final time was "Slow, but I made it."

Race volunteers lined the course, cheering and clapping as runners galloped past. Pump-up music blasted from speakers near the start line.

Per tradition, participants received a Spring Dash T-shirt. The registration fee was $17, with all proceeds benefiting the United Way.

"(People) like to be involved in the community," said coordinator Angela Sullivan. "They know the money goes to United Way. Everything stays right in Kootenai County."

At least 50 volunteers lent a hand at this year's race, Sullivan said. They cleaned up the course, set up food tables for the racers, picked up shirts and helped with general organization.

New in 2011, local vendors set up shop near the start/finish line. Hamburgers and hot dogs were served.

The Red Hot Mamas won the Spirit Challenge, as decided by a panel of judges. Twenty-nine runners from Garwood Elementary earned the School Challenge.

Erin McLin of Spokane was the top female finisher on Sunday. She looped the course in 34 minutes flat.

Kellie and Jason Wheelan of Dalton Gardens paced each other during the race. Their competition is friendly, but spirited.

"It went well. Nice day, good turnout," Kellie said.

With Jason on her heels, she finished strong and beat him across the line.

"First time ever I won," Kellie said. "By like a second."