Man with muscular dystrophy is Boston Marathon’s last finisher

ABOVE: Braving strong winds and torrential rains, a 39-year-old man with muscular dystrophy crosses the finish line of the Boston Marathon

BOSTON – An inspirational Venezuelan man has become the last finisher of the Boston Marathon, crossing about 20 hours after he started.

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

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The 39-year-old Melamed has a form of muscular dystrophy that severely impairs his mobility.

He was accompanied along the race by volunteers, and was met at the finish by dozens of cheering friends and supporters.

Melamed has participated in marathons in Chicago, New York, Berlin and Tokyo, but he says Boston is special because it’s where his parents brought him as a child for treatment.

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