9-Year-Old In 5K Race Unintentionally Runs 10K And Wins Overall

Jul 29, 2022

As if out of a scene from "Forrest Gump," a Minnesotan 9-year-old just started running, seemingly forgetting to stop. Even as a baby, Kade Lovell was always trying to get somewhere in a hurry. His mother joked that he "popped out running," completing his first 1K at 18 months. All this can perhaps be chalked up to an overactive child, but as Lovell aged, he grew a real passion for the sport. Once in school, he enrolled in local races and partook in local running clubs. The young boy even began running with a cross country club at the tender age of six. In addition to running several times a week, Lovell also enrolled in gymnastics classes as well as breakdancing classes. 

Lovell's parents have been more than supportive of the incredibly active kid. His mother signed Lovell up for the St. Francis Franny Flyer 5K in September of 2019. The race was meant to prepare him for the upcoming Junior Olympics, which were scheduled for December in Wisconsin. Having previously competed in the trials, Lovell was on track to breeze through the Flyer 5K and on to his next challenge. 

However, when Lovell didn't appear on the track at the estimated time his mother calculated, his family started to worry. She had had concerns that the Flyer 5K was still perhaps too much of a challenge for her son. He was only 9, after all. While he was a strong runner, maybe he had gotten turned around somewhere along the course? Or injured somehow. 

Worried, Lovell's mother began enlisting onlookers. "I had everyone looking for him...I was like, 'You need to go find my son,'" Lovell told reporters. 

Spectators began contacting others who were stationed along the course. News that there was a "little kid who was running really well" along not the 5K but the 10K route reached Lovell's parents. Was it their son? 

The two racecourses ran together until diverging. Somehow, Lovell had overshot and found himself running alongside adults. Initially confused, Lovell eventually saw 10K signs and realized his mistake. Instead of turning around or stopping, the avid runner simply ran on. "I kept my pace," Lovell reported.

While at this "pace," Lovell finished the roughly 6.2-mile track in just about 48 minutes. Behind him in second place was a 40-year-old man who crossed the finish line a minute later. 

Having finally spotted her son at the finish line, Lovell's mother reprimanded him. "When he finished, I was like, 'You are in so much trouble,'" she said. "As I started crying," the boy admitted. "I thought, 'Mom is going to yell at me."

Explaining his unintentional route, Lovell said, "As soon as I saw the 5K turn, a lady told me to keep going straight. So I kept going straight."

Lovell's mom had then asked an official about his results. "I was like, 'First in his age group?'...And she was like, 'No, first overall!'" Lovell's mother had a theory on how the 9-year-old managed to finish. "He actually probably did better than he normally does because he was trying to finish and in panic mode," she said. 

Despite being worn out, Kade not only set a new personal record but also changed the path of running history-albeit intentionally- that day in St. Cloud.

What's a mistake you made while competing that turned out for the better? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends, family and fellow runners!