UMD Student Who Ran Boston Marathon is Safe

30-year-old Mark Engelbert, a University of Maryland graduate student and Hyattsville's lone entrant into this year's Boston Marathon, reports that he is safe and sound and headed home after his beloved race was transformed into scene of indescribable calamity.

This is the Engelbert's ninth Boston Marathon. He has run it every year since 2005. 

"It's ordinarily a wonderful event," said Engelbert. "It's very sad to see the race marred by such a tagedy."

Luckily, Engelbert finished the race less than 25 minutes before dual explosions tore through rows of street side spectators, event staff and first responders.

Engelbert, who is studying philosophy, finished the race with a time of 3 hours 45 minutes. The explosions happened at around the 4 hour and 9 minute mark on the finish line clock.

Engelbert, writing in an email sent while traveling back home, said that he is safe, as are all of his friends and family who came out to see him at the event.

"I had finished and was several blocks away when the explosions happened, and only heard about them from other folks on the charter bus I ride up every year," said Engelbert. "Nothing we could do but wait for updates through our phones or from people coming back to the bus."