Although the experienced distance runner was happy to cross the finish line, he said he would like to post a faster time next year. He qualified for the event by completing a previous marathon in three hours and 35 minutes, but finished on Monday in 4:01.

"Since it was not what I was expecting to run, I will let everyone know what happened,” he wrote Monday on his Facebook page. “I was pretty much right on my pace upon climbing the infamous Heartbreak Hill. However, upon descending the back side, my right quad seized up suddenly, forcing me to come to a dead stop and grab onto a handrail to keep from falling.

“Fortunately, I was running close to the side of the road at the time. A sweet older woman spectator immediately saw the distress I was in as I could not straighten that leg out below the knee. She held onto me until the pain subsided and I was able to gradually massage it until it released, but my day was effectively over at that point. Continue reading