Organizers of an Alabama half marathon said an unregistered participant – a runaway dog – joined runners for the full race and finished seventh.
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Two-year-old Ludivane, a bloodhound from Elkmont, a town with a population of only about 400, had been let out for a stroll by her owner, April Hamlin, when she came across the Trackless Train Trek Half Marathon.
The hound trotted alongside other runners all the way to the finish line.
Racers reported that as she passed the finish line, in an unofficial 1:32:56, she slowed to a walk.
Ms Hamlin said she only discovered Ludivane’s achievement after receiving texts and photos from friends volunteering at the event.
“Her owner doesn’t even run!”
Tim Horvath, 49, said he ran most of the race with Ludivine, who kept up with him despite her several stops along the way to sniff out a dead rabbit, mingle with some mules and cows and meet with another dog near the course. “She came bouncing up, and I petted her on the head”.
Another explained: “Every time I thought she had dropped off to go back home, I would hear her coming back up to me, and she would race past me up to the two leaders. I understand she stayed on the course for 13.1 miles, finished seventh, and was the highest placed female”, Hamlin told CNN.
Not only did this good dog run the race, but she occasionally left the track to sniff for things or run through streams.
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Best of all, the half marathon was devised as a way to raise money for the local cross country program, and the publicity Ludivine brought to the race could help that effort.
