Boston Marathon's final finisher an inspirational story
BOSTON -- An inspirational Venezuelan man was the final finisher of the 2015 Boston Marathon early Tuesday morning, CBS Boston reports.
Maickel Melamed, 39, crossed the finish line on Boylston Street just after 5 a.m., about 20 hours after he started.
He struggled through torrential downpours and thunderstorms in the last few miles overnight.
Melamed, a motivational speaker, has a form of muscular dystrophy which severely impairs his mobility, making walking extremely difficult.
He was accompanied along the 26.2 mile course by volunteers. He was met at the finish line by dozens of cheering friends and supporters and several members of the media.
"The wind, the rain, the distance, the cold, everything today was overcome," Melamed told reporters after finishing.
He joked, "I'm so late."
Melamed has previously participated in marathons in Chicago, New York, Berlin and Tokyo.
He said Boston will be his last, but it's special because his parents brought him to Boston Children's Hospital as a child for life-saving treatment.
"I'm so grateful to Boston and this amazing city," he said.
Melamed hopes the Boston Athletic Association will officially recognize his finish and let him receive a medal.