Mike Murray may be the only athlete who can claim this unusual training regimen for the Ironman competition: He ran a 5K race wearing a wedding gown.

"Hey, this trailer (train) probably weighs 15 or 20 pounds after it got wet," said Murray, 51, of Reading, while holding up the soaked end of his gown.

Murray was one of 150 shivering, rain-drenched participants in the first "Runaway Bride 5K Run and Walk" Saturday morning sponsored by the Reading Bridal District. Merchants created the event to showcase the more than 30 wedding-related shops in the city.

The race attracted spandex-clad serious runners and a few who were more interested in just having fun. As many as one-third of the runners and walkers wore gowns, tuxedoes, lacy veils or sparkling tiaras.

Judges awarded bridal shop gift certificates, cakes and other prizes in several race categories, including "brides," "bridesmaids," "grooms," "fathers" and "mothers" of the bride.

Cincinnati firefighter Melissa Brown of Mount Washington wore a wedding dress donated by her aunt. She cut the bottom of the dress so she could run faster.

"I run a lot in the cold and rain," said Brown, who is single and doesn't anticipate getting married soon. "But this is the first time I've run in a wedding dress."

Friends at nearby Foley's Irish Pub bought the dress for the 6-foot-1 Murray, after they convinced him to enter the race. He said he agreed to run for a "free beer."

"I was supposed to get a garter, too, but I guess they forgot," said Murray, who wrapped duct tape around his waist to hold his elegant gown up.

He's not sure, but thinks the satiny dress is a size 22 or 24. Murray, who is single, is training for an Ironman competition in Panama City, Fla., next fall, but said he probably wouldn't brag about this event to other competitors.

Running in a gown is not only difficult; it can be painful, says Rachel Long, who ran with her fiancé, Ryan Osborn. The Liberty Township couple will tie the knot in September.

"The chafing under here is pretty bad," says Long, who wore a black bridesmaid's dress with faux fur trim she pulled from her closet. "And chafing is not comfortable."

Rachel Stoehr of Erlanger and David Bea of Cincinnati won as "Fastest Couple," with a combined unofficial running time of 35 minutes, 30 seconds. The couple stressed they have no plans to get married and agreed they were probably the fastest-running couple because they weren't wearing a gown or tux.

Murray, the star of the event, finished the race with a time of 21 minutes, 30 seconds - not his best performance, but not bad considering the soggy train he pulled behind him.

He nearly blushed like a bride when he won the gender-bent "Best-Dressed Groom" title. The free tux rental prize will come in handy, he said, when he attends his niece's wedding in a couple of weeks.

But will he hang up his racing gown forever, or pass it on to another buddy at Foley's?

"Maybe I'll wear it next year," Murray said.