“How can a dog mistakenly run a half marathon?” That’s an excellent question! The answer is quite simple and straightforward. And, of course, hilarious.

Ludivine, a two-and-a-half-year-old Bloodhound, probably had no idea that a half marathon is 13.1 miles long. This was before she accidentally participated in one. Her owner didn’t run in the race or even attend it. Rather, Ludivine was let out to relieve herself on Sunday when she somehow ended up at the starting line of the Elkmont Trackless Train Half Marathon in Alabama. When everyone else began running, Ludivine took off too! According to reports, she stopped twice during the race. Once to investigate a dead rabbit on the side of the road and once to check out a few cows. This doesn’t surprise me at all since Bloodhounds always follow their noses!

Despite her pit stops, Ludivine still managed to finish the race in 7th place with a time of just over 1.5 hours. Ludivine’s owner, April Hamlin, stated:

“All I did was open the door, and she ran the race on her own. My initial reaction was a mix of embarrassment and concern that she may have impeded the other runners. Ludivine is usually laid back and easy-going, so it’s surprising that she completed the entire half marathon since she is quite a lazy dog.”

The fourth-place winner, Jim Clemens, commented:

“I kept thinking she would stop or run back home, but she kept returning and passing me to catch up with the two front runners. She would run off to splash in the streams and check out yards for a while.”

Ludivine, you’re quite the unique character. We’re happy you had fun and got some exercise! If you enjoyed this story, don’t forget to give it a thumbs up and share it with your friends!