Marathons and half-marathons are wonderful examples of what humans can achieve if they work together. There’s the training and physical dedication it takes to complete such a race, and the motivating positivity radiating from the hundreds or thousands of spectators cheering along the route. But earlier this year the world learned that the long-distance races aren’t just for the two-legged.
In Elkmont, Alabama, a two-year-old bloodhound named Ludvine was let outside by her owner to do her “business,” but instead of pooping the dog joined the Elkmont Half-Marathon, which had just begun. Runner’s World reports Ludvine kept running for the entire race and finished the 13.1 mile course in 1:32:56, good for seventh place overall.
April Hamlin, Ludvine’s owner, told Runner’s World she was shocked about her dog’s feat. “She’s laid back and friendly, so I can’t believe she ran the whole half marathon because she’s actually really lazy,” she said.
Lazy or not, Ludvine is a naturally curious dog, which might explain why she wanted to join her human friends in the half-marathon. “She is a wonderful pet, but she does like to sniff around when she’s out of the house,” Hamlin told ABC News in an email. “She used to come to the school to find her two ‘kids’ at the playground and the school secretary would call me and I’d take her home…so, that’s when I started keeping her up more.”
