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'Rudy' Star Sean Astin: Running First Boston Marathon Is 'Deeply Personal'

BOSTON (CBS) -- This was "Rudy" star Sean Astin's 10th time running a marathon, but the 26.2 miles to Boston will mean something extra special to him.

Astin ran as part of Team MR8, the charity foundation for Martin Richard, the 8-year-old killed in the April 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. He finished with a time of 4 hours and 50 minutes on Monday.

"I've spent two months turning what was a news story that moved me. . . to something that's deeply personal now," he told WBZ-TV before the race.

Sean Astin
Sean Astin running the 2015 Boston Marathon. (Photo credit: Sean Landers)

Astin said he got to spend time with the Richard family, and the city has made him feel like he belongs.

"The Boston Marathon was always, to me, like this thing out there that was untouchable," he said. "Now what I realize after going through, being a part of Team MR8, is it's really about belonging."

Astin, who also had big roles in "The Goonies" and as Samwise Gamgee in "Lord of the Rings," said finishing the race is all about heart and determination.

"Samwise Gamgee is about climbing up that hill, that volcano to throw that ring away," he said. "Heartbreak Hill can't be as bad as everyone's made it out to be, but we'll see when we get there."

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