Crime & Safety

Boston Marathon Explosion: Worst Place, Worst Time

Mike Gimbel, a local runner who has run the marathon eight times, said today's explosions hit the most crowded portion of the course.

An explosion Monday at the Boston Marathon came at the worst place at the worst time, according to a Maryland runner who has participated in the prestigious race numerous times.

Mike Gimbel, who has run the Boston Marathon eight of the last 10 years, said the area of the explosion near Boylston Street is one of the most populated areas.

"The majority of the fans and police are located in that area," said Gimbel. "There's 23,000 runners and everyone is there, some times 100 deep, trying to see their loved ones finishing the race. It's the place to be; it's the highlight of the race."

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Gimbel was scheduled to run the race again this year but withdrew after a leg injury. 

"I've run it so much the last time I was there I knew where the potholes were," Gimbel said.

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In addition to the large number of spectators, the timing of the explosions—slightly more than four hours into the race—is the time when many of the runners are finishing the race.

"The majority of the runners are finishing that race between 3 hours 30 minutes and 4 hours," Gimbel said.

"You couldn't pick a worse place at a worse time," Gimbel said.

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