Sometimes natural athletes succeed in the most unexpected places. This was the case of Ludivine, an adorable bloodhound who made headlines after accidentally finding herself in a marathon. The Alabama pup reached 7th place after racing more than 13 miles to the finish line in one hour and a half.
Ludivine’s owner April Hamlin was surprised when she discovered that her pup had won a medal for her athletic skills, competing with over 160 participants. “I did not know that she had the discipline to run a half marathon. I know that she loves people, and she just likes to get out,” she said to Fox News.
© GrosbyGroupLudivine’s skills were so good during the race, that she even stopped to take a break and sniffed around before continuing the marathon. The talented dog lives on a farm with her owner, who said she had no idea her dog was competing and was only aware that she “was out for a little while.”
© GrosbyGroup“My first reaction was that I was worried she had gotten in the way of serious runners who had trained for the event,” she said to TODAY. “And that Barry Pugh, the race coordinator (also a work colleague) would kill me.”
© GrosbyGroupLudivine was in great spirits when she arrived at the finish line, with some of the competitors noticing her presence. “Somewhere around mile 2 or maybe just a bit past, I saw Ludivine again. She had stopped to eat some roadkill rabbit that was on the road. When I got close to her she picked up her head and started running again, near me,” sixth-place finisher Tim Horvath said to the publication, adding that she even had time to stop “next to the trail for a potty break.”
