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Marathon Runner Finishes Race 20 Hours Later

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Maickel Melamed, of Venezuela, speaks during a ceremony to honor him as the last participant to finish this year's Boston Marathon. (Bill Sikes/AP)
Maickel Melamed, of Venezuela, speaks during a ceremony to honor him as the last participant to finish this year's Boston Marathon. (Bill Sikes/AP)

What were you doing this morning at 5 a.m.? Brushing your teeth? Starting the coffee? Maybe even still asleep?

While many of us were waking up, Maickel Melamed was finishing the Boston Marathon.

After more than 20 hours on the 26.2 mile course, he was cheered on by a crowd of fans as he walked down Boylston and crossed the finish line shortly before 5 a.m.

Melamed, a Venezuelan native, was born with nerve damage that severely impairs his movement. Yet he's completed marathons in Chicago, New York, Berlin and Tokyo. Boston, this morning, was his last.

Guest

Fred Thys, reporter for WBUR. He tweets @fredthys.

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WBUR: After 20 Hours, Mobility-Impaired Man Finishes Boston Marathon At 5 AM

  • Maickel Melamed finished at about 5 a.m. Tuesday, after battling torrential downpours and thunderstorms for the last few miles.

This segment aired on April 22, 2015.

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