Man with muscular dystrophy finishes Chicago Marathon

The last man to cross the finish line at the Chicago Marathon still had 100 people cheering him on.

Maickel Melamed is a  38-year-old runner with muscular dystrophy. He finished the race in 16:46 at 1:30 a.m. on Monday. It was his third marathon. He has also finished the Berlin and New York City marathons.

“If you dream it, make it it happen,” Melamed told local news after he finished. “Your life is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you. So make the best of it.”

The result will not be considered official, as race staff stopped recording results after eight hours and Melamed was asked to compete on the sidewalks rather than the roads.

Melamed is a native of Caracas, Venezuela. He speaks three languages and holds an economics degree.

Race organizers report 40,230 runners started the race, a record number for the event.