The devastating blasts went off at the finish line just after the four-hour mark of the Boston marathon Monday afternoon, killing three and leaving dozens injured.
It was about the same race time that Virgin Islands resident Claire Louise Wiley typically crosses the finish line when she competes in marathons.
“I think they went off around 4:04,” she said, adding that she often runs with a group of VI athletes who clock similar times. “Just think, on another day it could have been us at the finish line.”
An avid runner, Ms. Wiley said she considered competing in the Boston Marathon this year, but she didn’t qualify and instead set her sights on the New York City Marathon in November. Now she’s not so sure.
VI resident Kathleen Brownsdon competed in the Monday event. Her friend and running partner, Casey McNutt, who organises road-racing events in the territory, said Tuesday that Ms. Brownsdon had finished the race and was making her way back to her hotel when the blasts occurred.
“The Brownsdon clan is alive and well,” Ms. Brownsdon posted on Facebook Monday after completing the race. “Say some prayers for the injured and their families.”
See the April 18, 2013 edition for full coverage.
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