Robby Ketchell started the NYC Marathon solo, but by the end of 26.2 miles, he was far from alone, especially as he crossed the finish line with his 7-month-old son, Wyatt, in his arms.

Ketchell resides in Portsmouth, NH and was racing his first road marathon. His goal: Break 3 hours and 21 minutes on the legendary course to honor Wyatt, who has Down syndrome, which is characterized by a third copy of chromosome 21.

Along the way, he set up a fundraising page to collect money for LuMind Down syndrome research. His stated goal: $3,210, again choosing a number to honor his son’s condition.

“The thought of pushing my own physical performance is so important to me because as a member of the Down syndrome community, I watch the strength and determination of individuals affected by Ds every day,” he wrote on the fundraising page.

At the time of this writing, Ketchell has raised more than $11,000 for the cause.

 

Photo: Marya Ketchell/Instagram

 

But, his race day story is just as heartwarming.

Because having a child with Down syndrome requires a different type of energy and commitment, Ketchell did the best he could to train for a sub-3:21 marathon, but his weekly mileage wasn’t in the range needed to hit his goal. Still, he gave it his best shot through the five boroughs until he “crashed and burned.”

“By mile 8 I knew I was in trouble. At mile 17 I had to make a decision: Back off my 7:30 pace enough to finish in 3:40, or continue to go all in and see what happens,” he wrote in Runner’s World. “From 17 to 20, I knew it was over, but I just wanted to break myself. My mechanics were so bad. I was slapping the pavement, but I was doing 7:30s and getting it done. At mile 20ish, I got down on my knees. My legs felt like they were about to break. That was it. I knew I could walk it in at that point, but I had wanted to give it my all.”

Knowing he wasn’t going to come close to 3:21, Ketchell texted his wife, Marya, who was near the finish line with Wyatt, and told her to get ready to transfer Wyatt into his arms.

“She handed him over to me right at mile 26. And then I carried him across the line,” he said.

The photo of Ketchell carrying Wyatt, which was captured by Elizabeth Griffin, has gone viral since she posted it on her Instagram account.

 

 

“To me, it was almost better than breaking 3:21. I had pushed my limits, which was the point,” he said. “I couldn’t go any farther. And we got to share the moment of going across the finish line together.”

“I’m not really a crier, but tears were definitely starting to come. People around us were crying—even people who didn’t know the story, who just saw me carrying my son across the line.”

Here’s to more moments in life like that for Ketchell and his “best friend.”