Northport Runners Recount Terror at Boston Marathon

All Northport participants in the Boston Marathon returned home unharmed following the explosions Monday at the Boston Marathon, but not without stories of the terror they experienced that day.

Dean Neumann finished a half hour before explosions went off.  He was about two blocks away when he heard the first blast.

“At first I thought it sounded like something exploding underground, like two trains colliding, then I heard the second one like 10 seconds later,” he said. “The building was vibrating, the streets rumbled and everyone stopped and looked at each other. In the crowded streets it was dead silence, and then the sound of sirens coming from all different directions.”

Wil Widman of North Babylon runs with the Northport Running Club and was about a quarter mile away from the finish line when the first bomb exploded.

“I was trying to find where my shuttle back to the hotel and the next thing I hear are ambulances and squad cars heading toward the finish line. For a half hour they didn't stop, it was one ambulance after another, police cars and fire trucks,” he said.

“Then i saw all of the people coming from the direction of the finish line-- it wasn't just the runners, it was a bunch of people-- and I happened to get a phone call from my daughter who was still in school. She asked me 'Daddy, are you ok?’ That's how I found out that the bombs actually went off.”

As soon as Widman got back to his hotel he rushed to establish contact with his friends and family. The bombs went off around the four hour mark, just around the time his friends would be crossing the finish line.

“Jim Kehoe crossed about five minutes before the bombs went off,” said Widman. Kehoe reportedly heard the first explosion and turned around to see the second one go off right after he crossed the finish line.

Widman said he’s still in disbelief about what happened, but it won’t deter him from running in other large races.

"I love running and I'm not going to stop. Is it going to be in the back of my mind that it can happen again? Absolutely,” he said. “But if they try to shut down these types of events for people then whoever's responsible for this wins."

Registered Northport participants were Kathi Berson, Harry Broere, Brian Clarke, James Kehoe, Dean Neumann, and Emma Riconda. Participants have been updating one another on the Northport Runners Club Facebook page since the blast. See details here.