Boogie, the Dog Who Received Half Marathon Medal, Dies

Courtesy of Boogie's Facebook profile.
Courtesy of Boogie's Facebook profile.

By Scott Douglas, Runner's World Newswire

Boogie, the chocolate lab who jumped in a half marathon earlier this month and subsequently received a finisher's medal, died on Tuesday, October 15th, just days after he was awarded.

Boogie became an Internet sensation after running almost all of the Evansville Half Marathon on October 5. He reportedly got free of his leash the night before, and joined the half marathon the next morning just after the start. Boogie ran the rest of the route, finishing in 2:15. He was then taken to animal control and reunited with his owner. Two days after the race, he was given a finisher's medal.

Boogie's owners posted on Facebook last week that Boogie had died of a heart attack on October 15th.

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Runner's World Newswire has been unable to contact the owners. A veterinary technician at Cape Veterinary Clinic in South Portland, Maine told Newswire that, without knowing the dog's medical history, it's not possible to say whether running the half marathon on October 5 contributed to the heart attack on October 15.

Boogie was 10 years old and was reported to weigh 100 pounds. In some news accounts, he's identified as Boogie Butts; his owner's last name is Butts.

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Note: Boogie's original half marathon story is below and was originally dated October 9, 2013.

Dog Jumps into Half Marathon, Gets Finisher's Medal
By Michelle Hamilton, Runner's World Newswire

Runner Kim Arney found herself being paced by an unexpected companion at Saturday's Evansville Half Marathon in Indiana.

About three miles before the finish, a 100-pound chocolate lab named Boogie Butts caught up with her and kept her company during the final miles of the 13.1-mile course, according to The Associated Press.

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"I lost my race buddy about mile 4 or 5 and picked up a new one around mile 10," Arney told the AP.
Boogie apparently wrestled himself free from his leash on Friday night and ran 13 miles of the race the next morning before police took him to animal control and began looking for his owner.

According to the AP, Boogie's time of 2:15 bested that of 1,228 runners--a commendable performance given that Labrador retrievers aren't the distance animals that Weimaraners, Jack Russell terriers and others are considered to be.

After being reunited with his owner, Boogie was awarded a finisher's medal--draped around his neck by Arney--in a ceremony on Monday.

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