Marine Veteran crawls on his hands and knees to finish the Boston Marathon

Marine Veteran, Micah Herndon, was determined to finish the Boston Marathon even if he had to crawl across the finish line.

Micah, who is from Ohio, told WBZ CBS Boston “I’m doing this on my own.”

The Afghanistan Veteran legs locked out around mile 22 forcing him to complete the remainder of the race on his hands and knees. His determination was prompted by the memory of three of his comrades who lost their lives in a bombing attack while overseas.

“I say their last names out loud while I’m listening to my music. I just repeat: ‘Ballard, Hamer, Juarez. Ballard, Hamer, Juarez.’” Micah explained to WBZ.

“The pain that I was going through is nothing compared to the pain that they went through,” he stated.

Micah crossed the finish line and received medical attention. Although this was his first marathon and he didn’t make the time he wanted, it certainly will not be his last.

Micah finished the race in a little under three hours and 40 minutes.

Here is how the media reacted on social media to Micah’s grit.

A Marine Corps veteran, who was running the Boston Marathon to honor 3 of his fallen brothers, crawls his way to the finish line after his legs give out. pic.twitter.com/4fZrUKQcSE

— Fox & Friends First (@FoxFriendsFirst) April 16, 2019

Micah Herndon, a former Marine who survived an IED explosion in Afghanistan in 2010, collapsed and crawled to the finish at the Boston Marathon.

He says he now runs in honor of the three Marines who were lost in the ambush. (via @dana_gio6) pic.twitter.com/WfIj3OpR1h

— ESPN (@espn) April 16, 2019

Incredibly POWERFUL moment as Marine veteran crawls across the finish line at the Boston Marathon, drawing inspiration from his 3 late friends who died in Afghanistan. #BostonStrong pic.twitter.com/h8SWqoOJMi

— Good Morning America (@GMA) April 16, 2019

About the Author: Melissa L. Ter Burgh is a writing intern with VA’s digital media engagement team. She is a graduate student at Benedictine University completing a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in Disaster Management and Epidemiology. 

Source: WBZ CBS Boston