Back to Boston: Part 1

One year ago today the 117th running of the Boston Marathon ended in tragedy. A pair of bombs went off at the finish line, leading to three deaths and hundreds of injuries.

For thousands of runners taking part, the attack ended their race prematurely, and the memories of that day remain strong for everyone who was there, and for everyone watching the disaster unfold on TV.

The blast the rocked Boylston Street echoed through the finish line, and lead to a frenzy of panicked spectators, confused runners and frantic emergency crews rushing to take care of the injured people lying on the ground in obvious pain.

“I touched the finish line six seconds before the bomb went off. All I could see was smoke and debris about 50 feet behind me. I thought it was a gas main, I’d never heard a bomb go off before.”

Chris Kavanagh should have reached the finish line 15 minutes earlier, but a bad bout of stomach cramps during the race slowed him down, resulting in his brush with the blast that could have cost him his life.

“My immediate reaction was number one, I can’t see anything, and number two, I’m just going to keep walking because if it is a gas main, this could be a pretty serious circumstance. Best for me to just remove myself as quickly as I can.”

Two other members of the Connors Runners group from Oakville hadn’t reached the finish line when the bombs went off. Vicki Brown was at the 39 kilometer mark.

“There was a lot of commotion, I got up there and a police officer, we were at dead stop. I asked what’s happening, why are we stopping? She said the race is over. I thought this is the Boston Marathon, how can you stop the Boston Marathon?”

Alastair Hood was a little further along, and says he was in his own world, when he saw a barricade go up near the 41 kilometer mark.

“I’ve seen people drop right in front of me, I thought that’s what happened. I couldn’t see the guy but they’re just making room for an ambulance, oh good they’ll get the guy I hope he’s okay. And then another ambulance comes by, and another, and then a police car, then a black SUV and then a fire truck. Then pretty soon it was mad and I’m thinking this isn’t an injury or a heart attack this is something serious.”

Hood’s girlfriend Janine was watching at the finish line, and texted him telling him what was going on. Then she ran back along the course to find him.

“She looked like she’d seen a ghost. She looked terrified. I saw the look on her face and thats when it all clicked in.”

From that point the runners had to try to find their family or friends, and find their way back to their hotels. Hours after the blast that part of Boston was swarming with police and military.

“It was almost like it was a war zone.”

Kavanagh’s wife Mary Jo didn’t see her husband cross the finish line.

She thought he might have died in the blast and went into a state of shock. She’s spent the last year dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Kavanagh says she won’t be going back with him this year, but he is. And so are Brown and Hood. All three have been training for the race, and are looking forward to being back in Boston for this year’s marathon.