Sombre race

The Boston Marathon bombings hung heavy in the air Sunday, as runners gathered for the 34th annual Fresh Air Experience 10-kilometre run.

Racers bowed their heads in silence as they waited at the start line, paying tribute to the three people killed last Monday when two explosions ripped through the finish-line area. Krystle Campbell, Lingzi Lu and eight-year-old Martin Richard died of their wounds.

A fourth, MIT police officer Sean Collier, was killed during a subsequent manhunt for the two bombing suspects, 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev and 19-year-old Dzhokar Tsaernaev.

Race director Alan Cranston, called the killings senseless, adding they felt they had to mark the occasion given how recently the incident happened and the fact that at least two Thunder Bay runners who were at the Boston Marathon were taking part on Sunday.
“This was the first race in Thunder Bay since the Boston bombing,” he said.

“It’s such a senseless act. So we’ll stop and remember the people that passed away, the victims and just celebrate the ones who had gone from Thunder Bay.”

Racers themselves said it was hard not to think of what transpired in Boston.

“I think our thoughts will all be with the people who lost their lives in Boston,” said Maureen Twigg. “The Thunder Bay running community is a great supportive running community. We had at least eight runners from our community who thankfully finished their races safely.”

Colleen Kennedy said she’s been thinking about what happened in Boston all week long.

“I think we all have been. I know that on our Thursday night run the running community gave a few moments of thinking about it as a group,” she said. “We dedicated a few moments, thinking about the people in Boston, wanting to support them, but also feeling it was really important to keep running and to support that way.

Fellow runner Catherine Walsh said she hopes the killings don’t colour every race from here on in.

“It was such a senseless act, but let’s just carry on,” Walsh said.

All runners were glad to see the suspects taken off the streets on Friday, Tamerlan Tsarnaev killed during the manhunt, his younger brother arrested, found hiding in a boat in a Watertown, Mass. Backyard.

“Absolutely, yeah,” Kennedy said.

Lakehead University’s Dylan Brown was the first runner to cross the finish line, completing the course in 31:20, 29 seconds faster than Trevor Zimak. Kevin Tree took third in 31:54, with Dominique Aulagnon and Mark Maronese rounding out the top five.

Danielle Thiel was the top female, crossing in 37:18, 1:08 better than Hilary Quirion. Ryan McDonald, the top Thunder Bay finisher in Boston, was 11th in 37:21.