Marine veteran running Boston Marathon crawls past finish line after his legs give out

A Marine who had been deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan ran the Boston Marathon on Sunday in honor of three of his fallen comrades, but as he was nearing the finish line, both of his legs gave out. Determined to complete the race, he crawled the rest of the way to victory — and video of the dramatic finish is going viral on social media.

Micah Herndon of Tallmadge, Ohio miraculously survived a devastating attack from a 50-pound improvised explosive device (IED) during the 2010 Invasion of Marjah in Afghanistan, but three of his best friends — Mark Juarez, Matthew Ballard and Rupert Hamer, fellow members of Herndon’s marine division, Lava Dogs — tragically did not. Upon returning home, Herndon began running as an outlet for his post-traumatic stress, he told Yahoo Lifestyle.

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“Shortly after [returning home], as all veterans do, I had a hard time for a couple of years,” Herndon said. “It was pretty tough, and I had my up and downs, but I always worked out. I’d really gotten in touch with doing cardio, and running especially took me to a place that had a sense of healing.”

Herndon started by running three miles a day, but as he became hooked on the adrenaline rush, his daily distance increased. Each time he ran, Herndon would repeat the names Juarez, Ballard and Hamer. “I know it sounds crazy,” he said, and admitted he would sometimes get weird looks as he said the mantra out loud while training.

But he did it anyway, he said, to remind himself why he’s running. “I say their names and that’s my way of just knowing it could be worse,” he said, referring to “the pain that they went through and their families went through.”

Running in his friends’ honor definitely kept him going. By 2016, Herndon had completed his first half-marathon, and in 2017, he completed his second. Then he went on to finish two full marathons, both in Ohio, in 2018.

During his first full race, he’d qualified for the 2019 Boston Marathon. But he never technically started training. “I’m new to this whole running thing, so I don’t really have a training schedule. I just do what I always do,” he said, which is to run for a target distance of 50 miles per week. “I don’t know if it’s the wrong way or right way.”

At the Boston Marathon on Monday, Herndon said he was focused on making good time so he’d qualify for the New York Marathon. True to form, he also declared he would be running the 26.2 miles in honor of his fallen friends. Whenever he felt like giving up, he said, he would repeat their names.

The race started off with a bang for Herndon, and all was still going well 20 miles in, as evidenced by a video posted on Facebook by the Marine’s wife, Sarah. In the clip, Herndon is still on his feet — in red sneakers bearing the last names of his three friends on the laces — but looking worn down as he runs past the camera to cheers from the crowd.

But near mile 22, Herndon’s legs suddenly cramped up and locked. “After mile 22 my miles decreased in time dramatically,” he told Yahoo Lifestyle, “and from that point on I knew I wasn’t going to finish the race in my goal time.” His goal then shifted to simply completing the race — and without anyone’s help.

By the time he was within 100 yards of the finish line, though, Herndon’s legs finally gave out completely. He dropped to his knees, but refused the help of nearby volunteers, insisting on finishing the race without assistance.

“I had no control over my legs,” Herndon said. “The next option was to crawl, and then my right hamstring locked up so I did the low crawl. Eventually my hamstring loosened up so I was able to crawl [normally] again. Anyway you look at it, I had to push forward.”

Herndon — surrounded by race volunteers and a cheering crowd — finally dragged himself over the yellow line, finishing the race in three hours and 38 minutes. As soon as he had officially completed the marathon, Herndon was intercepted by emergency workers and lifted into a wheelchair to seek medical attention.

Video of Herndon’s heroic victory at the Boston Marathon is now capturing hearts throughout the world. “You think this guy isn’t finishing despite what his body tells him? This is guts personified,” wrote journalist Darren Rovell on Twitter. “Inspiration comes in many forms and often actions speak far louder than words can. This guy is the true definition of ‘never say die,'” tweeted another.

Luckily, Herndon didn’t sustain any serious injuries during the race. He told Yahoo Lifestyle it was just a matter of improper hydration and nutrition. “I’ve got to figure out this carb-loading thing,” he joked, and said he was also not properly hydrated, but “I was definitely pushing fluid.”

Herndon added that he was disappointed in his time, but intends on trying to qualify for the New York Marathon on Nov. 3 anyway — and next time, in addition to three friends, he’ll have an entire nation giving him strength.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

• Marine vet folds fallen American flag while driving for FedEx: ‘Just doing what was right’

• Man buys 11 servicemen Chick-fil-A meals in honor of late veteran brother

• Dad runs half marathon in place of 29-year-old daughter who died by suicide: ‘I’m carrying Sophie with me’

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