People aren't the only ones who want to get a finisher medal or take part in an interesting mass running event. Animals also sometimes become free and unwitting participants in races. Consider 5 interesting cases when animals, one might say, took part in races.
Running deer
Stretch running can be called a contact sport. Therefore, strikes, jerks in running competitions are most often punished by complete disqualification of the one who was responsible for the incident. But what if the forbidden trick was given not by a competitor, but by a deer running by?
Probably, this was the question asked by Justin DeLusio, who was hit by an animal, while Justin competed in cross-country competitions for his university.
Fortunately, the athlete escaped with bruises and was even able to finish the race, thanks to the help of his friend. But he will surely remember these competitions for a long time. Not every time you run you get knocked down by a deer. And the deer in this case is not an insult.
Half marathon dog
A dog named Ludivine took part in the half marathon in Elkmont, Alabama. Together with the athletes, he stood on the starting line and after the start command sounded, he ran to cover the distance.
And most importantly, he ran the entire 21.1 km. His result is 1.32.56, which is good enough for a beginner runner. For the efforts of the dog, he was awarded the medal of the finisher. And the race was renamed, and now it is called Hound Dog, in honor of the half marathon dog.
Elk Buddy
In the small town of Diveville, Oregon, locals are quite calm about meeting wild animals, including moose. However, Elk Buddy is not a simple elk, but a treadmill.
At one of the 5-mile races, at some point, Buddy appeared on the track and began to run along with the runners. As a result, he overcame more than half of the race. The runners were both curious and scared to see such a “colleague” at a distance.
Unfortunately, Buddy will no longer be able to race. The government decided to send a running elk to a nature reserve 500 km from the city.
The pony that walks by itself
The 10 km race in Manchester was attended by a pony who escaped from the pasture. True, he ran only 2 km, but managed to surprise the participants with his unexpected appearance.
After 2 km, volunteers and track workers finally managed to catch him.
Cubs at a triathlon in Alaska
During the running stage of the triathlon in Alaska, a family of bears unexpectedly intervened in the race. Three bears, just like in a Russian fairy tale, went out onto the road and one of them even approached the runner. The girl was not shy. So I just slowed down and waited for the bear to leave. In the video, you can hear a typical phrase for the residents of this state: "Just a normal day in Alaska."
