Parkway Running Club's Shields will be at Starting Line Next Year

Parkway Running Club's Keith Shields, of Roslindale, was asked to share his thoughts, experiences, and where he was during the 2013 Boston Marathon explosion. All Parkway Running Club members are safe.

Below is Shields' response, and this is a Q&A with him before this year's marathon:

I did finish the marathon. I was in the first wave that left at 10 a.m. so I crossed the finishline around 1:15 p.m. I was home in the shower at 2:50 p.m. when the explosions happened. I got out of the shower and a friend had called telling me to turn on the TV, and an explosion had occured at the Boston Marathon. That friend had been standing very close to where the second bomb exploded, thankfully, he left after he cheered me on and wasn't close when it happened. 

My first concern after the shock was all of my Parkway Running Club friends. Many of them were in the third wave that left at 10:40 a.m. They were toward the back of that wave so I knew that it took 5-10 minutes to get to the starting line. Many of them run around the 4-hour range. So I knew the timing would have been very close to when they crossed the finish line. It turned out one woman (Ann Beatty) had just crossed right when the first bomb blew.

A few people (including Jim Sweeney) had crossed only a few minutes before while another (Eddie Hastings) was on Hereford Street and was about to turn onto Boylston when he heard the explosion and stopped about 1/3 of a mile from the finish. 

Social media was a great way for everyone to connect. Someone set up a posting on the Parkway Running Club Facebook site - everyone started posting when they found out club members were safe until all were accounted for. 

Obviously, I'm really bummed. My heart and prayers go to the people and the families of those who were injured and killed. I'm glad all of my loved ones are safe but as you saw in the interview you did for me, the Boston Marathon is one of my favorite things in the world. It's all about positivity, support and celebration, not only for the athletes but for the people who cheer loved ones or who don't know anyone who will show up to watch and cheer strangers gritting it out for the bragging rights of saying that they are a Boston Marathon finisher. I feel so horrible that such a wonderful event was marred in that way.

We'll be back next year, I qualified yesterday, so I have earned my way in and can guarantee I'll be at the starting line.