N.C. Runner, Family Seek Safety in Portsmouth Area

June Caummisar was excited to run in her first ever Boston Marathon on Monday and her husband, John, and their two daughters, Sydney, 10, and Alexis, 6, were waiting for her to cross the finish line.

She completed the grueling 26.2 mile race with a time of 03:49:06 and was making her way to the buses on Boylston Street to fetch her bag when she heard the two explosions back towards the finish line.

"As I walked back, I saw and I heard the explosions and the plumes of smoke," said Caummisar at Popovers on the Square on Tuesday morning. "I thought it sounded like cannons firing and I thought it was part of the celebration."

It wasn't until she went inside a women's tent to change that she heard others talking about what had happened. At that moment, she just wanted to find her family and make sure they were safe. For Caummisar, this is when she became frightened and stressed out.

Police had moved the families to a different waiting area away from the blasts and Caummisar had no idea where they were. She stood near the Armory and began texting her husband after she couldn't place any calls with her cell phone. Eventually, the couple and their children were reunited.

"After we connected we wanted to get out of there as soon as possible," she said.

After they reached their Boston hotel, Caummisar said she talked to her cousin who lives in Newmarket and decided it would be better for her family to leave Boston as soon as possible. They arrived in the Seacoast on Monday night at 9.

On Tuesday morning at Popovers, Caummisar said she found it harder to talk about what happened today than on Monday. Caummisar said the reality of what took place has still not set in yet for her or her family.

"I never would have thought that would have been a target, a bunch of runners and their friends and family," she said.

When asked if she plans to run the Boston Marathon again in the future, Caummisar replied, "I can't answer that today."