Oct. 14, 2013: Maickel Melamed, 38, center, of Venezuela, who has muscular dystrophy, nears the finish line to be the last runner to finish the Chicago Marathon. (AP/Courtesy of Ken Herzlich, Embargo Chicago)
CHICAGO – A man with muscular dystrophy was the last runner to cross the finish line of the Chicago Marathon -- nearly 17 hours after he started the race.
Thirty-eight-year-old Maickel Melamed of Venezuela made it across the finish line of the 26.2-mile race at 1:30 a.m. Monday. About 100 people cheered him on as he finished.
The resident of Caracas says his message to people is: "If you dream it, make it happen."
Melamed started running marathons two years ago and has competed in marathons in Berlin and New York City. His time for the Chicago Marathon was 16 hours and 46 minutes.
The winner was Kenyan Dennis Kimetto, who finished the course in 2 hours, 3 minutes, 45 seconds.
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