COEUR d'ALENE - Kathy Kelly stretched, meditated and prepared herself for the long race ahead.

But she wasn't alone for her first Coeur d'Alene Half-Marathon. Her mother was with her the whole time, and the pink wings across her shoulders that read "For you Mom" let the whole world know it.

"My mom died about four weeks ago, so I'm hoping she carries me," said Kelly, of Post Falls. "She's my angel."

Kelly and well more than 1,600 runners participated in the 38th annual Coeur d'Alene Marathon, Half-Marathon and 5K, which serves as a major fundraiser for the North Idaho Centennial Trail Foundation and a qualifying race for the Boston Marathon next April.

"We've increased our participation from last year and we're very excited about it," said race director and NICTF board member Cynthia Rozyla. She said as of Wednesday evening, more than 1,600 people had registered with many more late entries.

"It's a beautiful day and I quit watching the weather report on Monday because they said there was going to be thundershowers, and and I wasn't having any part of that," she said. "Everybody is doing great, they're all really excited, we have a lot of spectators, we have a real nice expo afterward, so we are inviting people to come and stay, participate in kids' activities, to have food with our vendors and just have a nice family day in the park."

Runners and wheelchair athletes had their choice of the 26.2 full marathon and the 13.1 half and runners/walkers could also choose the the MyHealth 5K. The course began in McEuen Park, wound through Sanders Beach neighborhoods to Coeur d'Alene Lake Drive and back.

The race attracted local individuals and athletic teams as well as those from out of state.

Kjell Schioberg of Coeur d'Alene won the Coeur d'Alene Marathon for the second straight year, finishing in 2 hours, 49 minutes, 30.1 seconds. Kyle Hall of Seattle was second in 2:52:42.1, and Heath Wiltse of Coeur d'Alene was third in 2:55:15.5.

Sarah Villasenor of Denver was the top women's marathon finisher, coming in seventh overall in 3:03:13.2.

Reuben Chumba of Eldoret, Kenya, won the half-marathon in 1:08:58.7. Jessica Brix of Kelowna, British Columbia, was the top women's finisher, 10th overall in 1:31:33.9.

Rise Estes of Hayden won the 5K race in 17:45.1. Kairi Schulter of Tensed was the top women's finisher, fifth overall in 19:49.8.

Melissa Bolton of Spokane Valley has participated in the race three times and was celebrating her fourth marathon this year and her 26th marathon since 2007. She also completed Ironman Coeur d'Alene in 2009. She said she enjoys this particular marathon because it's "close, local and they do a good job putting it on."

"I just try to have positive thoughts about the run," she said. "This will be my last spring marathon and then I'll pick up in the fall and do some more."

Three friends from the Big Sky state made the 7-and-a-half-hour trip to experience their first marathon in the Lake City.

"It's all three of our first time running a full marathon," said Jessica Kennedy of Havre, Mont.

"This is somewhere we've never really been to," said Tiffany Castillon, also of Havre. "I've just driven through is all."

2015 Coeur d'Alene Marathon results can be found at www.nomadzracing.com/results.html.