November 18, 2008 High school runner fights to the finish Play video

(Jennifer Eagan, NECN: Worcester, MA) - Feet from the finish line, Ben Perron's body gives out but the St. John's junior doesn't ever give up.

“Unless I physically couldn't even move I was gonna just keep movin'”

Perron came into the homestretch of Saturday’s state cross country championship 5k somewhere in the top thirty runners.

That's when a severe case of dehydration kicked in.

I got back up tried to, I fell down a couple of times, eventually I was on my hands and knees just trying to get there.

Exhausted and dehydrated, Perron struggled toward the finish line for the next few minutes.

"Just giving up quitting...never entered my mind...wasn't a choice...kept moving."

Perron's place fell as dozens of runners ran past him.

A St. John's teammate stopped to help him...but was called off by an official.

“I heard a whistle...the official blew it...and pointed at him...he realized helping me would have dq-ed me.

PERRON CRAWLED TOWARD THE FINISH LINE AS THE CROWD CHEERED HIM ON.

HE ENDED UP FINISHING THIRD FROM THE BOTTOM OUT OF ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY RUNNERS...HE WAS MET BY E-M-Ts WHO TREATED HIM AND TOOK HIM TO THE HOSPITAL.

PERRON SAYS HE'S PROUD OF HIS COURAGEOUS FINISH...BUT LOOKING BACK...HE WOULD'VE HELPED A TEAMMATE IN A SIMILAR SITUATION.

If 1 of my teammates was going through that...i wouldn't want them in that position...i'd want them to be helped up.