Marine running in Boston Marathon in honor of his fallen comrades pushes through pain to finish race

BOSTON, Massachusetts (KTRK) -- A U.S. Marine pushed through intense pain to cross the Boston Marathon finish line in honor of his fallen comrades.

Micah Herndon crawled on his hands and knees as he finished the race Monday.

"The worst pain I've ever experienced running," Herndon said.

It may have been physically painful, but Herndon has struggled with more pain emotionally.

"I watched my buddy get blown up on my 21st birthday," he said.

Herndon's run was in tribute to the memories of his two friends and journalist, Mark Juarez, Matthew Ballard and Rupert Hamer, that he knew while he served in Afghanistan.

He now runs with tags on his shoes in honor of them.

Even though his time fell short of his goal, he hopes his powerful display of determination can help inspire others who may be struggling.

"I will have setbacks in my life. I will go backwards. But it's how you respond going forward," Herndon said.