Venezuelan Maickel Melamed brought new definition to the term marathon when he crossed the finish line at 1.30 AM today in Chicago after a grueling 16 hours and 46 minutes. As the Chicago Tribune reports, the race was won in a record-breaking 2 hours and 3 minutes by Kenyan Dennis Kimmetto - yet it was Malamed that won the hearts of fans throughout the city and across the globe. Melamed suffers from muscular dystrophy, a condition which accutely weakens the skeletal muscle system. Despite this harrowing condition, Mr. Melamed participated and completed the entire course, finishing to rousing cries of "Maickel! Maickel!" ABC News reports.
Running for almost 17 hours, Melamed completed the mammoth 26.2 mile race with over 100 people cheering him on at the finish line. His Facebook page was inundated with comments of support as people cheered him on even on the web: "Come on Maickel Melamed you are a warrior!!!" Melamed coped with chilly conditions and an arduous course to complete the event. His message of "If you dream it, make it happen" ("Si lo sueñas haz que pase!") has become a popular cry of victory across the web. As he does after every marathon, Melamed gave the Marathon medal to his father immediately after the race.
Melamed, 38, is not only an athlete but also a motivational speaker, philosophy teacher and physiotherapist. Despite his condition, he has completed the New York City Marathon and The Berlin Marathon, now adding Chicago to his impressive list of achievements. Melamed regularly writes in his inspirational blog, granting insights into his process and mindset. To complete a Marathon, he writes, one needs to stretch the limits: "that is to say, we stretch the rubber band to its limits with the gradual patience to not break it." He urges us to appreciate the struggles in life for what they might teach us: "thank you difficult step...we will find each other again soon."
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