Dog accidentally runs a half marathon — and places 7th
When Ludivine, a 2-year-old bloodhound from Elkmont, Alabama, headed out the door one Saturday morning, her owner April Hamlin figured she was just going for a walk. Instead, Ludivine ended up running an entire half marathon.
"My first reaction was that I was embarrassed and worried that she had possibly gotten in the way of the other runners," Hamlin said. "All I did was open the door, and she ran the race on her own accord."
But Hamlin didn't have anything to be embarrassed about. Even without any training, Ludivine finished the 13.1-mile Trackless Train Trek Half Marathon in an impressive overall time of 1:32:56 and placed 7th, despite the occasional veer off the course to sniff around. She even earned a medal.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
"She's laid back and friendly," Hamlin said, "so I can't believe she ran the whole half marathon because she's actually really lazy."
A free daily email with the day’s biggest news and analysis – and the best features from TheWeek.com