12-year-old girl accidentally runs half marathon

(WJBK) - A 12-year-old girl in western New York accidentally ran a half marathon.

Lee Rodriguez-Espada registered for a 5K race, but she got there late and organizers told her to jump in with the rest of the runners.

After about four miles, she felt like the race was going on too long

"I asked her how long it was and she said it was like 13 miles, and that's when it struck me that I think I was in the half-marathon instead of the 5K," the girl says.

The girl's mother also felt like it went on too long. She was waiting for her daughter at the finish line of the 5k and panicked when she didn't show up.

Thankfully, police officers caught up with the girl. They told her that her mom was looking for her but she said she had to finish the race.

Rodriguez-Espada finished the half marathon in 2 hours and 43-minutes, which everyone said was great for her age and lack of training.

She hopes to run a half marathon again in the future, but says this time she plans to train for it.