Eight-year-old with Canadian roots sets WR at Alabama half-marathon

The inaugural Elkmont Half-Marathon — The Trackless Train Trek just north of Huntsville, Ala. took the spotlight this past week after Canadian Running first reported on Ludivine, a bloodhound, finishing the race in seventh.

The two-and-a-half-year-old hound found her way to the start line on her own after being let out to pee and proceeded to finish the entire race. Of course she received a finishers medal too.

RELATED: Adorable surprise racer finishes at the Elkmont Half-Marathon in Alabama.

Also in the race was Grattan O’Neill, an eight-year-old local runner, who set a single-age world record for the half-marathon, according to ARRS, completing the race in 1:38:22. Shane, Grattan’s father, is Canadian and works as a physician in Huntsville after attending the University of Calgary.

“I normally tell Grattan when he gets tired in a race to use his strong muscles to push through [to the end] — you know, his Canadian muscles,” Shane told Canadian Running on Tuesday.

12. Grattan O’Neill — Huntsville, Ala. — 1:38:22

According to ARRS, Grattan also holds a number of other single-age world records including in the 8K, 10K, 15K, 10-mile in addition to the record he set on Jan. 16.

According to the Elkmont Half-Marathon Facebook page, Grattan holds 17 state records for Alabama.

The date has already been set for next year’s edition in Elkmont, a small town of approximately 500, with the name of race changed to Elkmont’s Hound Dog Half in honour of Ludivine.

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The race will be on Jan. 21, 2017 with proceeds from the race going to the local high school cross-country and track and field program.

The town is located in northern Alabama near the Alabama-Tennessee border.