9-year-old Kade Lovel made a wrong turn while running a 5K race and ended up winning a 10K, proving that sometimes life’s little mistakes can lead us to greatness.
Minnesota-based Kade was running the St. Francis Franny Flyer 5K (3.1 miles) in Sartell, Minnesota on September 21, 2019 until he suddenly wasn’t. After misinterpreting a guide’s directions, he missed a turn, and ended up running — and winning! — a 10K (6.2 miles) that was happening at the same time.
“I was just running. As soon as I saw the 5K turn, a lady told me to keep going straight, so I kept going straight,” Kade said. “I was a little confused.”
Kade finished the 10K in 48 minutes and beat the 40-year-old second-place runner by a full minute. People also reports that the average age of the other people who finished within the top 10 was 38, making Kade’s win even more impressive.
Kade’s mom, Heather Lovel, was waiting for Kade on the sidelines, excited to cheer him on. But as time passed and Kade never appeared, she began to worry.
“I had everyone looking for him, even a fireman,” Heather said. “I was like, ‘You need to go find my son.’ I was bawling. This had never happened before.”
Eventually, Heather’s brother-in-law, who was running the 10K, started hearing that a young boy was running the race and he put two and two together.
As for Kade, he was confused but powered through it anyway. “I was like, ‘This is not a 5K,’ ” he told WCCO. “Then, once I turned around, I was like, ‘Oh, my mom’s gonna yell at me.’”
His mom, Heather, says she went from “freaking out to mad,” yes, but that she felt nothing but happiness and pride when she learned that he ran and won the 10K.
“He actually probably did better than he normally does because he was trying to finish and in panic mode,” Heather said. “I’m like, well, now you’ve got that under your belt.”
Think of this story the next time you make a little mistake, because you never know: that error could lead you to great, unexpected places! But do try not to freak out your loved ones, if at all possible.