Man with muscular dystrophy finishes marathon after nearly 17 hours

Mike Krumboltz

Maickel Melamed, a 38-year-old man with muscular dystrophy, finished the Chicago Marathon in 16 hours, 46 minutes, early Monday morning.

Melamed, who traveled to Chicago from Caracas, Venezuela, to take part in the marathon, was the last person to finish the race, according to NBC Chicago. Surrounding him were 100 or so supporters who cheered him on as he crossed the finish line at 1:30 in the morning.

"If you dream it, make it happen," Melamed said after completing the race, according to WLS-TV Chicago. "Your life is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you. So make the best of it."

Melamed began running marathons two years ago, WLS reported. He previously competed in races in New York and Berlin. According to an Indiegogo page for Melamed, doctors believed he would live only seven days after being born.