Emotional end for last Honolulu Marathon finisher

December 12, 2011 at 4:04 AM HST - Updated June 25 at 9:30 PM
Wakana Ueda (2nd from right) gets help from her mother (far right) & 2 other supporters.
Wakana Ueda (2nd from right) gets help from her mother (far right) & 2 other supporters.
Wakana's mother, now on the other side of the line, encourages Wakana to finish.
Wakana's mother, now on the other side of the line, encourages Wakana to finish.
Wakana Ueda, held by her mother, shortly after she finished the Honolulu Marathon.
Wakana Ueda, held by her mother, shortly after she finished the Honolulu Marathon.

WAIKIKI (HawaiiNewsNow) - As she listened to her mother chanting her name, Wakana Ueda finally crossed the finish line at the Honolulu Marathon. The 11-year-old blind participant from Toyota City, Japan was the final finisher.

The emotional end to her journey came 14 hours, 3 minutes and 12 seconds after the start of the race. According to her mother, what Wakana lacks in sight, she makes up for in heart.

"Before the halfway mark, her leg was cramping up, and she was thinking about quitting many times, but because the team supported her, she was able to finish," explained Wakana's mother.

This was Ueda's first marathon.

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