The Last Man to Finish the Boston Marathon Has an Incredible Story to Tell

The 2015 Boston Marathon’s last place finisher was Maickel Melamed.

Melamed, 39, originally from Venezuela, walked through the night before crossing the finish line early Tuesday morning, CBS Boston reported. In total, Melamed, who lives with muscular dystrophy and has difficulty moving, walked nearly 18 hours to finish the 26.2 miles race.

A group of supporters followed him the whole time and counted each step he took, even catching him each time he collapsed.

Go Maickel!

Venezuelan runner with muscular dystrophy finishes #BostonMarathon in 20 hours http://t.co/5PT0OazKDw pic.twitter.com/F47M9CjWmi

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) April 21, 2015

Melamed chose Boston for symbolic reasons — when he was a child his parents brought him to Boston Children’s Hospital for treatment. It was his fifth and final marathon; he says the physical toll it has taken on him has been too great.

“It was tough — the wind, the rain, the distance, the cold,” he told CBS News.

Despite his late completion of the marathon, Melamed was awarded a finisher’s medal in the afternoon on Tuesday by Mayor Walsh at City Hall.

Maickel Melamed receives a medal for finishing the #BostonMarathon in 20hours pic.twitter.com/at7ktinCIC

— Bernice Freedman (@BerniceNews) April 21, 2015

Watch the video below for more on Melamed’s incredible story: 

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