12-YEAR-OLD GIRL ACCIDENTALLY RUNS HALF-MARATHON

A 12-year-old girl completed a half-marathon by accident. Lee Rodriguez-Espada, 12, was running late to the Wegmans Family 5k Sunday in Rochester, New York. To save time, her mom dropped her near the starting line before parking the car. She rushed to the starting line only to realize the race had already began. She was told to just start running and quickly fell into pace with the others. Meanwhile her mom found a spot at the finish line, expecting to congratulate her daughter within the hour. Lee didn’t realize until mile 4 that the finish line was nowhere in sight. Turning to another runner, she asked how much further. “And that’s when it struck me I was in the half marathon instead of the 5k.” Instead of dropping out, she decided to keep running. Realizing her daughter wasn’t among the runners crossing the 5k finish line, her mom alerted race officials and the police. At first, authorities were concerned, but a police officer eventually found Lee on the course. The young runner said she knew her family was worried but she couldn’t quit. She needed to finish the race. And as she finally crossed the finish line, after running 10 miles more than she had planned, her mother cried tears of joy. “I see her with a medal and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, she ran the other one, like for real,'” Brendalee Espada said. “She decided to just keep running and not give up.” Lee finished the race in 2 hours and 43 minutes. She placed 1,885 out of 2,111 runners. Five other 12-year-olds and one 7-year old also completed the half marathon, according to their mean parents.
* “I was so proud of my very dumb girl!”
* She needed to finish the race? So they had an inspiring afternoon AND learned she has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
* This is the opposite of Sarah Palin. “I have over a year left that I have to be Governor of Alaska? Ahh … screw it. I’m outta here.”
* A medal? You mean a certificate of participation?
* I once accidentally did eight more leg lifts at the gym than I planned because I lost count. So, I know how these things can happen.
* It’s a nice story but didn’t a dog do this last month?
* I can relate to her Mom: Find a spot at the finish line and wait.
* I can’t criticize the girl. I haven’t run 2 hours and 43 minutes total in my entire life.
* Wait, she messed up because she was running late to the race? How’s that for irony?