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Sunday, November 7, 2010

Chilean miner thanks America for NY marathon support - Telegraph.co.uk

Mr Peña hobbled his way over the finish line in Central Park at 3.30pm, five hours and 40 minutes after beginning the race in Staten Island.

“I’m not from this country, but I saw posters saying ‘Go Edison!” and 'Go for it Peña!' from people I didn’t even know," he said at the finish line.

"The warmth from the American people is amazing.”

The 34 year-old, who was the 12th man to be raised to the surface in the Phoenix rescue capsule from deep below the Atacama Desert last month, had been dubbed "the runner" for his gruelling subterranean exercise regime.

The fitness fanatic and Elvis Presley enthusiast jogged in his heavy miners' boots for several miles each day of his ordeal through dark uneven tunnels finding his footing by the light of his miner's lamp.

He suffered from a knee injury while in the mine, which made his progress during the marathon extremely painful. Mr Peña, who sported a knee support for the run, was forced to walk the last section of the course, from Manhattan to the finish.

“I cried twice because of the pain in my knees,” he said. “But I didn’t travel this far to give up."

Carrying aloft the Chilean flag, Mr Peña was met at the finish line by his wife, Angélica.

He was invited to participate in the challenge through the streets of Manhattan by organisers, who were inspired by his drive and stamina.

"I could have come just to watch, but I decided to take part, to feel the emotion," he said ahead of Sunday's race.

"I have a strong desire to motivate the others. This is the most important thing for me."

On arrival in New York on Thursday he was a guest on The Late Show hosted by David Letterman, where with gyrating hips and quivering lip the miner won over the audience with his own rendition of Elvis's "Suspicious Minds".

He will visit Graceland, Presley's mansion in Memphis, Tennessee and will make a trip to Las Vegas to see "Viva Elvis," a Cirque du Soleil show, before flying home to Chile.


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