A 12-Year-Old Accidentally Ran A Half Marathon Instead Of The 5K
13.1 miles is a bit longer than 3.1—but one young runner didn't seem to mind the discrepancy.
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There’s a big difference between the 5K that LeeAdianez Rodriguez-Espada planned to run and the half marathon she actually did run.
According to CNN.com, the 12-year-old’s mother dropped her off near the start line of the race, and Rodriguez-Espada started running to catch the runners that had already taken off. It took her 4 miles to realize that she definitely was not approaching a finish line—she had 9.1 to go.
Instead of quitting right then, the young runner decided to keep going, telling CNN that she “knew her family was worried, but she couldn’t quit.” Needless to say, her mother—and race and police officials—were relieved when they discovered Rodriguez-Espada at the finish line of the Flower City Half Marathon with a medal. She finished in 2 hours, 43 minutes and was one of five 12-year-olds to complete the race.
What a big—but very impressive—mistake!