Near mile 21 of the Boston Marathon, race officials diverted Kelly Swan Taylor to a side road that paralleled the racecourse. She began to wonder why so many runners were calling family members on their cellphones.

In the VIP section of the marathon stands, Laura Beachy and her co-worker decided to catch an train back to New York City earlier than they anticipated. As they walked away from the race, they heard a rumble they thought was an oncoming train.

Christine Beckett checked in at the finish line of the marathon on FourSquare while waiting for a friend to finish the race. When she got back to her car around 3 p.m., she was surprised to see a flurry of text messages from friends and family members asking if she was alright.

For these three Syracuse University alumnae and others watching and participating in the Boston Marathon, the news that two explosions at the finish line had killed at least three people and injured more than 100 left them stunned and trying to piece together what happened.

“(The runners) weren’t aware of the gravity of the situation of the time,” said Swan Taylor, a 1999 alumna. “We thought that a transformer had blown or something. We weren’t sure if it was criminal or not. We were just trying to make sense of it.”

In addition to many SU alumni who participated in the race, at least 10 current SU faculty, staff and students ran in the marathon. None of them were injured in the explosions.

Nick Bedbury, a graduate student in the L.C. Smith College of Engineering; Bridget Hughes, a business office assistant at SU Abroad; Rebecca Bader, an assistant professor in the department of chemical and biochemical engineering; and Tim O’Toole, director of basketball operations for SU Athletics, all ran in the race, but had finished by the time the explosions occurred.

A squad of about 10 SU ROTC cadets also marched in the marathon carrying 40-pound backpacks and wearing their uniforms. The group participated in the race to raise money for the Green Beret Foundation, said Bob Hartwig, whose son Jordan was one of the cadets.

The cadets finished the race at about 1:15 p.m. and were eating a late lunch in the staging area, located three or four blocks north of the finish line, when the explosions occurred, Hartwig said.

The explosions marred an event many alumni referred to as the “happiest day of the year” for Boston, and raised questions about what future races will be like.

“The race is so family-oriented and everyone comes out for it,” Swan Taylor said. “I don’t know how they can increase security and still make it the same kind of race.”

Although the Boston Marathon may forever be associated with the explosions, Beckett, a 2007 alumna who now works as an attorney in Boston, said she still plans to come to the race next year.

“It’s one of those great days in Boston,” she said. “It’s such a happy day and I hope people still come out.”

Beachy, a 2012 alumna who now works in public relations for Runner’s World, said she was shaken by the news of the explosions and shocked that something so awful could happen at a race that attracts the “elite of the elite.”

But as a marathon runner herself, Beachy said she’s confident the marathon and its runners will recover and come back stronger than ever.

“Everyone will bounce back,” Beachy said. “That’s what runners do.”

Published on April 16, 2013 at 12:14 am

Contact Jessica: jliannet@syr.edu | @JessicaIannetta