Scott Dahlberg showed some speed early in the 5K on St. Patrick's Day on Saturday in Colorado Springs. His tactics paid off. Dahlberg won for the second-consecutive year.

RESULTS: Where did you finish?
PHOTOS: Gallery 1 ** Gallery 2 ** Gallery 3
VIDEO: Race start ** Interview with Scott Dahlberg

With about three-quarters of a mile to run in the 5K on St. Patrick's Day, the defending race champion Scott Dahlberg knew he had to find another gear.

Behind him, James Burns charged up like a locomotive. Problem. Dahlberg knew that if his last surge for the finish line didn't work, there was no Plan B.

"I could hear his footsteps and I knew he was gaining ground on me," Dahlberg said. "Finally coming back down this (home) stretch, a little downhill with the wind, I was like, before he gets to me I have to put a move in. I only have one move really, so I wanted to make it count."

Dahlberg, an assistant cross country coach at Colorado State University, and graduate of nearby Peyton High School, dashed ahead to win in 15 minutes, 8 seconds, a few ticks better than his 2013 winning time.

Burns was second, just a few strides behind.

"I really wanted to win this race," Burns said. "I caught up to him, but then my legs just filled up with lactic acid and he got away from me."

The 5K on St. Patrick's Day attracted about 2,600 runners on a blustery day in downtown Colorado Springs. The race, which celebrated its 30th year, is one of the biggest in southern Colorado, and brings out the Irish in everyone.

Dahlberg, who runs for the Boulder Running Company/Addidas team, sprinted to an early lead as the massive field flooded in behind him like a green wave. He led the race from wire to wire.

"It was a little windier today than last year," Dahlberg said. "At the starting line I decided to get out kind of hard so there wouldn't be people drafting off of me. It might have cost me a few seconds at the end, but I think it was strategically I executed what I wanted to do."

In the women's race, Boulder's Lesley Smith took the win in 17:53, with Christie Foster in second place at 18:02. One of the biggest performances of the day belonged to 12-year-old Chantae' Steele, who placed third in the women's race with a time of 19 minutes, 18 seconds.