‘The people of Boston were amazing’
Re: You will run again, Obama tells grieving Boston, April 18.
Today I am thankful for my knee injury.
Every marathon runner’s ambition is to run the Boston Marathon. Having qualified to run it, I was determined to go despite a knee injury. Because of the injury, I had planned a much slower marathon than usual, so had suggested to my wife that she expect me at the finish something in excess of five hours from my start time. Had it not been for that injury, both she and I would have been close to the point of the explosion when it occurred. She had found a place to watch the finish close to where the bomb actually was, but had left to get lunch just 10 minutes before the explosion, not expecting me for another hour. She heard the explosions followed by a surreal, eerie silence. Because it was such a festive occasion, people at first assumed it was some sort of military salute. Only minutes later did they realize the true horror of what had happened.
Those of us running heard various murmurings along the route that something had happened at the finish line, but we found it so inconceivable, it seemed unreal. Only when we were forced to stop running due to the closure of the course, at 40 kilometres, just two kilometres from the finish, did we realize the true horror of what had happened.
The people of Boston were amazing in their support. People walked with us to help us find a way back to meet our families or get to our hotels around closed roads. Local knowledge was necessary as most of us did not know our way around and the transit was closed. People loaned us phones, and most of all, asked us to please come back next year. Which of course we will.
PETER CHAPMAN, Ottawa