He was tired. He was sore. He would do it all again.

Almost two years to the day that he began taking steps – literally – to change his life, Brian Flemming finished the Detroit Marathon Sunday. When the journey started in October 2012, Flemming weighed more than 600 pounds.

“I just had a blast. It was a great time. It was great being in the midst of a bunch of people there just to run,” the 32-year-old Flemming said hours after finishing the race in 2 hours, 53 minutes, 6 seconds.

It was a far cry from the initial workouts he started doing in his living room two years ago.

“When I started it was just five minutes a day walking in place because it was all I could do,” Flemming said. “I never would have dreamed that I would run a half marathon in a million years.”

Flemming said didn’t do anything different to prepare for the marathon other than to steadily increase his usual workouts. In fact he had only run the distance of the half marathon – 13.1 miles – once prior to Sunday’s race.

Flemming admitted he had to walk a couple times during the race, but was happy with his overall performance, adding that he made it about nine miles before he walked.

The story of Flemming's transformation and the relationship that inspired it has inspired people from around the world. Last month, Flemming was able to meet with members of Team 383 during a gathering in Ann Arbor.

Now that he’s completed his first half marathon, Flemming said he will focus on running a full marathon and hopes to achieve that goal by next year’s Detroit Marathon. He’s going to take some time to rest before he starts training for that goal, but also to reflect on what he’s done in just two years.

“I feel accomplished I feel really happy. I had a blast doing it,” Flemming said.

Matt Durr covers Ypsilanti for The Ann Arbor News. Email him at mattdurr@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter.