Ludivine is a two-and-a-half-year-old bloodhound and local fixture in the 500-person town of Elkmont, Alabama. The free-roaming hound has been making headlines after sneaking out of her backyard and completing the town’s inaugural half-marathon in an impressive time of 1:32:56, good enough for seventh place!

Her owner, April Hamlin, didn’t even realize Ludivine had left the yard until friends who were volunteering at the race texted her photos of her dog at the finish line.

 

 

“All I did was open the door, and she ran the race on her own accord. My first reaction was that I was embarrassed and worried that she had possibly gotten in the way of the other runners. She’s laid back and friendly, so I can’t believe she ran the whole half marathon because she’s actually really lazy!”
– April Hamlin, Runner’s World

 

 

Tim Horvath (above), 49, ran most of the race with the pup, telling Runner’s World that he first saw her in the parking lot before the race.

Tim says she followed him for most of the run, stopping to periodically romp through streams and yards as well as sniff other animals.

 

 

“One time she went over and met another dog next to the course. Later on, she went into a field with some mules and cows. Then she’d come back and run around our legs.”
– Tim Horvath, Runner’s World

 

 

Ludivine was awarded a medal for her amazing feat and next year’s race has already been renamed the Elkmont’s Hound Dog Half, which will be held on January 21, 2017.

According to Canadian Running, The Elkmont Half-Marathon (Trackless Train Trek) had 165 finishers (plus Ludivine) with proceeds of the race going to the cross-country and track and field teams of the local Elkmont High School to help purchase training equipment and cover race entry fees for students.

 

 

Sources

– Elkmont Half Marathon – The Trackless Train Trek on Facebook
– Runner’s World: Hound Bandits Half Marathon in Alabama
– Canadian Running: Adorable surprise racer finishes at the Elkmont Half-Marathon in Alabama