HOUND DOG HALF: Elkmont race returns with new name

Published 10:51 am Wednesday, January 18, 2017

When an Elkmont dog stole the spotlight by finishing an entire half-marathon by herself last year, people around the world heard the story of Ludivine.

Now the race named in honor of the sometimes-athletic canine is scheduled for Saturday. The Hound Dog Half is set to begin at 8 a.m. at 18890 Upper Fort Hampton Road in downtown Elkmont. For race and registration information, visit runsignup.com/Race/AL/Elkmont/ElkmontHalfMarathon. Proceeds from the race benefit the Elkmont High track and cross-country teams.

The story behind the race starts when Ludivine, a bloodhound descended from the hounds Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely uses to track down felons, was adopted by April Hamlin and her family after it was determined the puppy wouldn’t be employed by the sheriff’s office.

Ludivine is as lazy and clumsy as they come, Hamlin told The News Courier in a previous interview, but she has been known to wander off when let outside. Often the Hamlins will get a phone call that their dog has been keeping company with folks hiking the Richard Martin Rails-to-Trail.

Jan. 16, 2016, was no exception. Hamlin let Ludivine out to do her business and a couple of hours later received a text message from a friend.

“We let her out for a few minutes and the next thing I know, I got a text saying, ‘You have to come down here. Everybody is going crazy over her,’” Hamlin told The News Courier last year.

When the door opened, Ludivine found her way the quarter of a mile to the starting line to the Elkmont Trackless Train Trek, benefitting the Elkmont High School cross-country and track teams.

No one thought much of the dog hanging around the runners, but became curious as they noticed Ludivine sticking to the race path. A photographer hired for the event captured the now famous image of Ludivine plodding along with her tongue hanging out and big ears flapping in the breeze.

Maybe the most amazing part of this story is not only did Ludivine cross the finish line, but she was technically the top female finisher.

Like all participants, she was awarded a medal, which prompted another photographer to capture a shot of the dog looking innocently at all the people making a fuss over her as the medal dangles from her neck.

News organizations and runners’ magazines from around the globe picked up the story. Ludivine and Hamlin made dozens of TV appearances and were written up in hundreds of blogs.

Limestone County Commission Chairman Mark Yarbrough even named her Limestone County’s Top Dog and awarded her another medal. The bloodhound’s popularity inspired organizers to rename the charity run to Elkmont’s Hound Dog Half.

To keep up with “Lu,” follow her on Facebook, or just keep a close eye on the local running trails.