Guilford Resident Near Finish Line When Tragedy Strikes Boston Marathon

This post was reported and written by Guilford Patch editor Lauren Lanzon.

When Karen Febbraio, of Guilford, crossed the finish line at the Boston Marathon this year, she got her medal of completion, grabbed her stuff on the bus, and was ready to head back to her hotel, just as she had done during her previous trips to the race. But in an instant, the day that had started with such excitement quickly turned into one filled with panic and tragedy.

“When the first explosion went off, one of the other runners turned towards me and said ‘that must have been a gas explosion,” Febbraio told Guilford Patch. “I looked back and saw the smoke. But then people started panicking and we all got very anxious. After the second explosion, we knew that this was something more.”

Febbraio was just several hundred feet away from the finish line when the explosions went off, and remembers seeing first responders rush to the aid of those injured.

“I could see the police, volunteers, soldiers going to help right away,” Febbraio remembers. “The volunteers and other first responders headed right towards those who needed assistance. I heard the sirens and saw vehicles rushing by. We were told to keep moving.”

The runner was able to find her husband, and they left the the area soon after.

“When it was time to head home, traveling was intense,” concluded Febbraio. “There were bomb sniffing dogs in the area and our luggage was swabbed and scanned before we boarded the train.” 

Several days later, on Saturday morning, Febbraio joined many of her running friends at SoundRunner in Branford for a BostonStrong run to stand in solidarity with the victims of the bombing. She and Madison resident Bruce Beebe ran an emotional five miles in honor of those affected by tragedy.

“We shared similar emotions during today’s run,” Beebe told Guilford Patch after he and Febbraio completed their 5 miles. “It was emotionally charged; you feel, angry, sad, on the verge of crying. But now we’re all trying to look forward and take that energy and make it better. I know I’ll be back running Boston next year, and I’m sure Karen will too. We’re not running away.”