North Caldwell Woman Finishes Boston Marathon 10 Minutes Before Explosions

Talking from her quiet North Caldwell home just 24 hours after standing at the site of a terrorist attack, Randi Mathios said she didn’t know how to feel. 

“I’m saddened for everyone that was injured and for the loss of life, but I am lucky and thankful that I’m okay,” Mathios said.

The 43-year-old runner was two blocks from the finish line just 10 minutes after completing the Boston Marathon Monday when she heard and felt the explosions that killed three people and injured more than 150.

“It was loud. You kind of just felt it and you knew something had happened,” said Mathios. But it was a “different world” from her vantage point a couple of blocks from the blasts which are being investigated as terrorist attacks by the FBI. “We didn’t have the smoke obviously, no injuries where we were standing and waiting.”

When word reached her through the crowd and confusion that there had been two explosions, she got out of the area as quickly as she could.

Attempts to call home were impossible until she was some distance away. Once she had cell service, she was inundated with voicemails, texts and emails from concerned friends and family members. 

“I actually ended up posting on my Facebook that I was okay to let people know,” she said. “The level of concern was unbelievable. I’m very lucky to have such caring people in my life,” she said.

This was not the first time Mathios was in close proximity to a terrorist attack. She was working at 2 World Trade Center during the first bombing in 1993 and was evacuated from the building. 

“I’ve had a lot of tragedy in my life. Probably more than most,” she said. “The running has honestly gotten me through a lot. Mentally, it has been very helpful.”

Mathios said Boston, which she finished with a time of 3:53:39, was her ninth marathon. 

She had been a casual runner and began running marathons after her twin boys, now 12, were born. 

Monday was Mathios’ first time running the Boston Marathon, one of the most popular and prestigious running events in the world.

“I was happy with my time and all of a sudden this veil of sadness comes over everything,” she said.

Mathios drove back to New Jersey with her friend, listening to news in the car and trying to make sense of what had happened.

She arrived home safely at about 9 p.m. Monday night. On Tuesday, she got up and went into work in time for a 9 a.m. meeting.

“I can’t stop my life,” she said. “You can’t let the fear run your life.”