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Man who came in last in Chicago Marathon has a lot to celebrate

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. Maickel Melamed made it across the finish line of the 26.2-mile race at 1:30 a.m. Monday. (Oct. 14)

Maickel Melamed, 38, finished last in the Chicago Marathon this weekend — and is being called the race's "biggest winner."

Melamed has muscular dystrophy.

The Venezuelan man crossed the finish line at 1 a.m. Monday morning, 16 hours and 46 minutes after he started. His victory was cheered on by 100 proud supporters.

"He was obviously tired, but he felt like he reached the goal," Billy Russo, who coordinates publicity for Melamed, told the Chicago Tribune. "His dream for today was to run the marathon and finish, and he did."

"My message is: If you dream it, make it happen. Your life is the most beautiful thing that could happen to you. Make the best with that, and share the best of that," he told reporters shortly after finishing the race. "We come here to share. We come here to make a team. We come here to construct the best world that the children — our children —deserve."

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This wasn't Melamed's first marathon. He has already completed the New York and Berlin marathons. He hopes to tackle the World Marathon Majors in Tokyo and Boston next.