Dan Peterson

From the Boston Channel 5 News:

A man who was an inspiration at the Boston Marathon for decades has lost his battle with melanoma.

Dan Peterson, 55, of Beverly, Mass., has died.

Peterson told the Boston Globe that he was hoping to run his 25th Boston Marathon this year, but he acknowledged he may not live that long.

He died Thursday.

His friends plan on carrying his number across the finish line next month.

Boston Channel 5 did a story on Dan last April:

NewsCenter 5's Jorge Quiroga reported that Dan Peterson, 54, is living with a severe form of cancer.

"I had my arm taken off on Jan. 3. Had sterotactic brain surgery three times. It has been a busy last nine months, with the challenges," he said.

Peterson's challenges stem from terminal stage four melanoma.

"You become better at the measure of who you are, and want to do," he said. "I was blessed that my priorities weren't changed when I found out that I had stage four melanoma, but I also learned to dig a little deeper."

Celebrating ordinary runners with inspiring stories, Saucony Running Shoes chose Peterson as their "Man of the Year." The tumor that claimed his arm and the cancer that riddles his body are only two of the many reasons why he was chosen.

"He's touched so many peoples' lives because he really is a very positive person. He always says that life is about being in the game, being a participant," said Peterson's wife, Julie, a former competitive distance runner.