COEUR d'ALENE - Collin Ruane, a 16-year-old runner from Coeur d'Alene, had never raced the Leprechaun Scurry before.

The weather was chilly on Sunday morning, the route snow-covered and slick, but the young man still set a challenging goal: three quick miles in 25 minutes, give or take a second or two.

He made it.

"I've been running for a while, but I haven't been running as much lately, so I thought it would be good to start up again," Ruane said. "It was a little cold but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I got pretty warm in the middle."

Starting at Lake City High School, a field of 244 runners and walkers participated in the 21st annual Leprechaun Scurry. The course looped around the neighborhood, passed through Bluegrass Park and finished on the back side of the school.

With snow falling softly all morning, racers bundled up for the journey, and many wore spikes or metal tracks on their running shoes.

"I slipped a little but I didn't fall," Ruane said. "There was a couple icy spots, but it was pretty good."

St. Patrick's Day is still a couple of weeks away, but JoAnn Corley was dressed "cowboy Irish." She ran three miles wearing a bright green cowboy hat, lime-colored shirt and shamrock bandana.

"Our whole family's here, and they all dressed up," said Corley, who lives in Wallace. "I'm hot. I put about four layers on. It was great. Got my studs here, so I didn't slip and slide."

Josh Thompson of Coeur d'Alene was the first racer to lope across the finish line. Hayden runner Erika Krumpelman was the top female finisher.

"I had on my Yaktrax (metal coils that attach to running shoes), so it wasn't too bad for me, but it was kind of like running in sand in some spots," said Jillian Potts of Post Falls. Keeping with the Irish spirit, she wore a green skirt during the race.

"Totally burned the lungs," she added. "Super cold."

The Lake City cross country team, hosts of the Leprechaun Scurry, provided plenty of hospitality. Racers warmed up in the high school cafeteria, where staff served up cookies and warm drinks. A pair of bagpipers played Irish tunes as the runners filed in.

Just past the T-shirt stand, a folding table was piled high with raffle prizes. Gift certificates, cutlery, chocolates and water bottles were up for grabs.

Marlon Samayoa of Coeur d'Alene didn't feel his best on Sunday, but he still finished with a strong kick.

He said the course was excellent.

"I like it 'cuz, you know, no traffic, no cars. It was great."