Meet the dog who just accidentally ran a half marathon

Some of us love the rush of running, as well as training for and participating in marathons. The rest of us, though, can’t imagine having the stamina to run one on purpose — much less by accident.

According to Runner’s World, Ludivine, a hound dog in Elkmont, Alabama, ran the 13.1 mile distance of the city’s inaugural Trackless Train Trek half-marathon, just because. The two-and-a-half year old pup apparently has a penchant for wandering off from the home of her human, April Hamlin, and when let out of the house last week, found herself in the middle of a marathon.

“I saw her for the first time in the parking lot before the race,” Tim Horvath, a resident of Huntsville, Alabama explained to Runner’s World. “She came bouncing up, and I petted her on the head.”

Once the gun signaling the start of the race went off, Ludivine began running along with the competitors. She ran the entire race, and according to other runners, only went off course to bound through yards, investigated a dead rabbit, and visited with some cows before returning.

Horvath said he wondered whether Ludivine would get tired, yet the pup simply kept running. Despite all her detours, and the fact that she’s a dog, Ludivine finished the race in seventh place!

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