The video of a navy crossing the finish line of the Boston Marathon becomes viral

The image of the Navy veteran crawling along the finish line of the Boston Marathon has quickly become one of the most memorable and controversial moments of this year's race.

Micah Herndon, 31, of Tallmadge, Ohio, may not have been prepared for the attention that he had received when he crossed the line. 39, arrived on all fours, determined to finish the race in the honor of his fallen comrades.

Video sequence of the emotional end of Herndon become viral on social media and the event was picked up by the country's major media, including CNN, the Washington Post, USA Today and Sports Illustrated.

Herndon won the hearts of spectators as he crossed the finish line kneeling on Boylston Street, completing the 26.2 mile course in 3 hours and 38 minutes.

The Record-Courier of Kent, Ohio, reported that Herndon was carrying the memory of three fallen comrades – his Marine comrades Matthew Ballard and Mark Juarez, and the British journalist Rupert Hamer – every time that He was introducing himself.

Herndon told the Record-Courier that he was in a convoy with Hamer, Ballard and Juarez in Afghanistan in January 2010, when the vehicle in which the three men were located exploded. Hamer and Juarez were killed in the blast and Ballard was seriously injured.

"I run in their honor," said Herndon. "They are not here anymore. I am here and I can. I'm lucky to still have all my members. I can still be active. I find fuel in the simple idea that I can run. Some can not. "

After finishing the marathon on Monday, Herndon told WBZ-TV how the memory of his friends kept him alive.

"I say their names out loud, you know, when I listen to my music," he said in an interview with WBZ-TV. "I'm just saying, Ballard, Hamer, Juarez. Ballard, Hamer, Juarez. "

Herndon told WBZ-TV that he was determined to finish the race, no matter what happens.

"The pain I was going through was nothing compared to the pain they suffered," said Herndon.

Emily Sweeney can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @emilysweeney.