But Kade was OK; he just didn't turn around at the 5K mark and instead ran then entire 10K race.
So how did the mixup happen?
Kade said one of the other runners told him to keep going when he hit the turnaround. He said he was confused, but he still went straight, instead of turning for the 5K's return, according to the St. Cloud Times.
Despite the mistake, Kade, who has been running with a cross country club since he was 6-years-old and ran his first 1K when he was only 18-months-old, WCCO reported, ended up taking first place in the 10K. But the medal wasn't for his age group; it was for first place overall with a finish of just over 48 minutes. It was a minute faster than the next runner a 40-year-old competitor, the newspaper reported.
Heather Lovell attributes her son's win to his being in panic mode when he ended up running in the longer race.
As for his next race, Heather Lovell told the newspaper she'll be at the 5K's turn around to remind her son when he has to turn.
He's also using his mistake as a benchmark, using it for motivation while he trains for his future races since it had been the farthest he had run in competition or practice, Heather Lovell told The Washington Post.
Kade also has his sights set on longer races, eventually competing in a marathon, his mother told the Post.
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