Updated: Lake Forest Runners at Boston Marathon, Site of Two Blasts

Updated at 2:40 a.m. Wednesday with new information about local runners.

Three Lake Forest residents and four from Foothill Ranch ran in the Boston Marathon on Monday, where explosions killed three and injured at least 176—including 17 in critical condition—near the finish line.

• Click here for the latest on the Boston Marathon explosions
• Read about security measures for the O.C. Marathon on May 5
• Read about O.C. deputies adding to reward to catch the bomber

A runner from Mission Viejo, one of seven, was less than a block from the finish line when the bombs went off.

"I thought it was a gunshot," said Sally Boles, who was in her 13th-floor hotel room at Boston Marriott Copley Place at the time. She didn't realize the noise was a bomb until about five minutes later when a friend called from Southern California.

"It's crazy," Boles said of the scene following the explosions. "There are 20 ambulances outside our hotel room. There are policemen everywhere. At first they were shooing everyone from the finish line. Now (at 1:30 p.m. PST) there are no spectators left."

Men in fatigues soon converged on the scene in black SUVs, she said. And police with dogs were combing the area.

"It's kind of like 9/11 all over again," Boles said.

Before the blasts, the avid runner had been enjoying the race. She chugged a beer at mile 11 and high-fived more than 1,000 people, she said.

"It was simply an amazing day until I got that phone call," she said.

Dozens of Orange County residents participated in the storied marathon, including Laguna Beach's John Loftus, who won the age 54-59 division. Most of the Orange County runners finished the race before the explosions. There was no immediate word on whether any were among those injured by the explosion.

The highest-finishing runner from the Lake Forest area was Debra Okano, 52, who placed fifth among women 50-54; she was 396th overall with a time of 3:12:04.

According to the Boston Athletic Association site, these local runners participated in the event:

• 4129th overall (5th in class). Debra Okano, Lake Forest, 3 hours 12 minutes 4 seconds
• 8,540th overall (1,180th in class). Satoshi Miura, Lake Forest, 3:30:17
• 10,620 (7,599). Ronald Vallercamp, Lake Forest, 3:37:55
• 5,502 (605). Amy King, Foothill Ranch, 3:18:35
• 7,915 (676). Quentin Eng, Foothill Ranch, 3:28:08
• 12,408 (1,555). Barry Miller, Foothill Ranch, 3:44:12
• NA (NA). Daniel Warner, Foothill Ranch (half: 2:12:02)

Through social media, Patch has received word that Warner, King, Vallercamp and Miller are OK, as are the families of Vallercamp and Miller.

-- Martin Henderson and Pete Schelden contributed to this article.