Local runners safe but shaken after Boston bombing

A Boston Marathon competitor and Boston police run from the area of an explosion near the finish line in Boston, Monday, April 15, 2013. (MetroWest Daily News, Ken McGagh)

Many Maritime runners arrived home from the Boston Marathon today; they are all safe, but many are shaken by what they witnessed.

Two bombs exploded near the finish line yesterday afternoon, killing three people and injuring 176 others. Seventeen of the injured are in critical condition.

“I crossed about 15 minutes before it happened,” says local marathon runner Cindy Gill. “It sounded like a cannon going off…you just looked over by the finish line and there was a big ‘poof,’ like a big, grey cloud.”

“I was picking up my bag at the bus and I was on my way back to find my sister,” explains runner Jose Hotton. “I just heard one big explosion, and two seconds after, another big explosion.”

“People just came screaming and crying. It was complete chaos,” says Beth Ellen Brown. “I was separated from my family. I was by myself in the meeting area. I didn’t have a phone. I had no way of communicating with them.”

All of the marathon runners returning to the Maritimes today have a different story to tell about where they were, what they saw, and what they heard.

But they all have one thing in common; they all say the bombings won’t deter them from running in Boston again.

“If they have it, and I sure hope they do,” says Nancy Winchester.

“It’s important now for me to run and go back and say ‘you’re not scaring me away from this marathon, or any big event like this, so I’ll be back,” says Denise Robson.

The runners also say that amongst the acts of terror, there were also many acts of kindness, as Bostonians rushed to help the runners and their supporters.

“A really wonderful man, he was a stranger, saw my mom hysterical and said he was going to find me and he somehow got to the meeting area, found me and brought me to my family, which was just a really overwhelming experience,” says Brown.

Another flight is due to arrive in Halifax from Boston around 9 p.m. Tuesday.

Bombings inspire local runners to pay tribute

For the running world the Boston Marathon traditionally kicks off a season of races across the continent. Several of those races are taking place in the Maritimes, and are just a few weeks away.

While the bombings at the Boston Marathon have local race organizers re-evaluating their procedures, they have also energized runners to pay tribute.

“I wasn’t planning on running the Fredericton Marathon, I’m not really in shape to do it. But I thought, well, it’s less than a month away, but I think I can do that half marathon so I went out last night so we’ll see how I do,” says Nick Taggart, who was inspired to run after watching the events of the Boston bombings.

Paul Lavoie, director for the Fredericton Marathon, says 30 people signed up for the race overnight.

He says the event this year will likely strike a different tone from previous races.

“It did start us looking at perhaps more of security aspect to our race and in that respect we have contacted the city police,” says Lavoie.

After the event in Fredericton, runners will head to Halifax for the Bluenose Marathon. Co-chair Gerry Walsh admits he is concerned the bombings may scare people away from the race.

“That thought crossed my mind. Will people want to come out?”

Walsh says the main goal for marathon organizers is to reaffirm their commitment to safety and security.

“We have a pretty robust plan in place right now, with about 120 police officers and about 60 first responders,” he says.

Organizers of both the Fredericton and Bluenose marathons say they expect special mention and moments of silence in tribute to those affected by the Boston bombings.

“I expect a lot more people to come out and show their support after what happened in Boston,” says Taggart.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Kayla Hounsell and Nick Moore