A new name should be watched with interest in the running world in Rome. Clayburn Milford, still in middle school, came in first place at the 2013 Leprechaun-a-thon on Saturday at Barron Stadium, beating his best time by six seconds with an 18:32 5K run.

He said he felt great after the run, and it was an “awesome course.”

“It’s a good celebration for the holiday. It’s very fun,” Clayburn said.

Back in January, Clayburn took first place in the 10K in the 2013 Resolution Run, and he’s been running strong ever since. He plans to run in the Berry 10K during the half-marathon event coming up March 23.

Finishing in top place for women was Leigh Rush, who came in at 21:53.

Some weren’t just running for fastest time during the second annual Leprechaun-a-thon. Darris Linginfelter was one of a few men and women sporting dresses during the 5K. He said it’s a tradition of the Rumblin’ Roman Hash House Harriers, a running club devoted to “running and drinking beer.”

“I didn’t do my best,” Linginfelter said after his dress-clad run. “But it was fun, and I had a good time.”

Linginfelter won third place for best dressed in the race costume contest.

Organized by the Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority, this year’s run started much later than the 9 a.m. kickoff time in 2012. Race organizer Will Pennscott said it helped with having so many downtown events on Saturday to make it one of the last events of the day.

“It worked out well,” he said. “And we really try to push the festiveness of it. The festiveness of our race is really what helps with our registration numbers.”

Future hopes are to tie the Leprechaun-a-thon into a block party-style event downtown, Pennscott said. He also said to keep an eye out for the signups for a Halloween Zombie-thon night race in October that will “hopefully go through Myrtle Hill” cemetery.

He said he’d like to make future races one of many events surrounding a St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Rome that includes dyeing the river green “like they do in Chicago.”