St. Patrick's Day may still be four days away, but that did not stop some people from pulling out their green on Saturday for a good cause.

The chilly weather Saturday morning did not stop more than a hundred people from pulling out their running shorts and their best St. Patick's Day best to hit the pavement for a good cause.

Ashley Teer who was taking pictures of the event says, "It's kind of cold so I'm kind of surprised. It's encouraging to see so many people that are willing to come out and run and have a good time."

The runners and walkers are supporting the cross country and track team at the University of Great Falls and organizers say this year's race is pulling in more money than ever before.

Jim Brewer, the head cross country and track coach at UGF says, "This is our third year of having the Saint Patrick's Day Dash here and this is our largest turnout I'd say."

Those who came out had to pay a 20 dollar entry fee, providing the UGF team with some extra cash to pay for equipment, meet fees and a place to stay when they are on the road.

Rick Maib, the head timer for the event notes, "There's a two mile and a four mile race and you can either walk or run. It's to support the running community and to help support the college and to have a great time."

For some, it was a way to burn off those extra calories that come with the irish holiday. Participant Shelley Clark says, "It's a good reason to burn off some green beer." Participant Melanie Raffensperger says she came out, "Mainly to stay in shape and also to give to the university."

In Saturday's race, the luck of the irish proved that size does not matter. The first person to cross the finish line may have a future on the UGF cross country team. 10-year-old Kyle Byrne completed the two mile trek in under 15 minutes, beating out those that were three or even four times his age.

UGF's cross country and track team holds many races throughout the year. If you missed Saturdays' event, the next fundraiser will be taking place in May at the First People's Buffalo Jump in Ulm. It will feature a feature a three mile walk and run, a 10K and a half marathon.