DOWAGIAC — Good fortune smiled on Dowagiac’s Cole Parker, who took full advantage of the situation at the 45th annual Steve’s Run at Southwestern Michigan College on Saturday.

With several of the runners in front of him taking a wrong turn, Parker, who is a member of the Chieftain cross country team, ran away from the rest of the field to pick up his first victory in 5K run.

Parker, who was competing in his first Steve’s Run, finished with a time of 18:30, which was 18 seconds quicker than runner-up Brandon Warren, who posted an 18:43. Michael McCarthy was third with an 18:55.

“I was behind them and they went the wrong way, he said. “I never really got a big lead, but I went the right way. The runner behind me went the wrong way too. He went around the building.”

Parker said he was not used to switching terrain during runs, but he was used to warmer temperatures.

“I probably should have picked different shoes to be honest,” he said. “I have been doing most of my running on pavement, so I need to get used to the trails. I am used to this weather. I run in any conditions.”

Parker also said that the race is a good gauge as to where he is heading into cross country season.

“It is good to see where my fitness is,” he said. “I have been running easy miles all summer. I haven’t really done any speed stuff. At least I know where I am. My goal is to make it to state this year with Shawn [Little].”

Hannah Richmond of Paw Paw was the women’s 5K run winner. The Paw Paw High School cross country runner is used to coming to Dowagiac for races, but not running the Steve’s Run course.

“I ran this last year and I think I finished second in my age group,” she said. “This year I trained better. I really like the trails.”

Richmond said she took control of the race in the closing stages.

“Coming to the hill on the last mile,” she said of the most challenging part of the race.

Megan James was a distant second with a time of 21:44, while Karsyn Stewart was third with a 22:27.

A pair of Indiana runners captured the 10K titles, which had only 90 total participants.

Jordan Annis of Mishawaka won the men’s race with a time of 34:12, while Samantha Wassel of North Liberty captured the women’s crown with a time of 45:46.

Annis, who is a former Steve’s Run winner, was more than a minute ahead of runner-up Dave Jones, who posted a time of 35:47.

The last time Annis ran the race, it was still starting and finishing in downtown Dowagiac.

“I like this course, but it is tough though,” he said. “I liked downtown a little better that I can remember, but it has been so long though. This course is tough. When you get to the golf course you are just baking in the sun. It was a little hot, but you have to take days like this when you get them.”

Wassel did not have much of a challenge from the second-place runner either. She finished nearly two minutes ahead of Colleen Dabler, who finished with a time of 47:44.

Wassel last ran in Steve’s Run while she was still in high school.

“My cross country coach had me and some of the guys run it over the summer,” she said. “It has been a while. I was surprised how sandy some of the spots in the woods were. But it was nice, because especially in the summer, all of the runs are road races that are boring, I like hills.”

Wassel did not know exactly when she took control of the race as she just tried to stay within herself.

“I tried to keep an even pace,” she said. “There were a couple of girls ahead of me early on, but I think they split off in the 5K.”

More than 400 walkers and runners registered for the race, but only 390 finished the event, which was run in warm, humid and partly sunny conditions.