San Carlos Mom Recalls Marathon Mayhem: 'Everything Was Great—Then, Boom'

Since last August, San Carlos resident Emily Denton has been training to run the Boston Marathon.

Emily, a senior at Tufts University in Boston, was training with a group of about 100 Tufts students who were running the marathon to help raise funds for a childhood obesity study being undertaken by the university. Emily is a 2009 graduate of Sacred Heart Prepartory in Atherton.

At Mile 9 of the race course in downtown Boston sat Emily’s mother, Debbie Denton, and a group of other Tufts parents and friends who had come to watch their children run in one of the world’s most prestigious sporting events.

Emily carried her phone with her so she could text updates to her mother along the route.

“When Emily was about 40 minutes from the finish line, she texted me and I was going to meet her at the finish line,” said Emily’s mother Debbie in a phone conversation on Tuesday.

Denton said Tufts provided a bus for families to take them to the course; the bus was then going transport them to the finish line once the roads along the racecourse had cleared.

“Then, about 15-20 minutes later, I heard what sounded like a cannon, and then a second one—no smoke, but a metallic-like reverberation,” said Debbie.

Four-tenths of a mile short of the finish line of the 26.2 mile race, just as the course made a sharp turn onto Boylston Street, Emily and the others were told to stop running and were diverted to a street that did not lead to the finish line they were so close to reaching.

They were met by race volunteers with food and blankets and before long, Emily and her running mates learned why they had been halted 25.8 miles into the race they had trained so hard for.

A series of explosions had rocked the finish line of the Boston Marathon, transforming Boylston Street from a scene of joy and relief to one of chaos and confusion.

“They were held on another street for about 20 minutes and didn’t know right away what had happened,” Debbie explained.

Denton estimates that there were nearly 5,000 runners who had yet to finish the race when the explosions occurred, and that Emily’s timing was serendipitous. She had been running for about 4 hours and 10 minutes and had another 20 minutes or so left to go when she was diverted.

“I’m glad she didn’t finish earlier—we would both have been there at the finish line,” said Debbie.

Debbie and Emily spoke on the phone and Debbie asked her daughter if she thought she would get to finish the race.

“At that time she really didn’t know,” said Debbie.

“Had I continued to the finish line like I had planned 20 minutes earlier, I would’ve been right near the blast,” she added.

Mother and daughter found each other about an hour and a half later and then had to navigate their way out of the downtown chaos and back to the university.

“The Tufts buses weren’t allowed in, so they sent police vans to bring us back,” said Debbie.

Denton explained that the sudden turn of events was even more shocking given the festive mood and the good vibe among spectators, participants and volunteers.

“It was the most fun day of my life,” said Debbie.

“Everyone was having a great time, the volunteers were great, Emily was going to finish—everything was going along so well—then, boom.”

She noted that the Tufts coach, who had cheered Emily and the other runners on along the way, talked to his team after the incident and was clearly shaken himself.

“He said if a third bomb went off, he wouldn’t have known which way to run—he thought he would surely die.”

The president of Tufts University, Tony Monaco, held a reception for the runners Tuesday evening and assured the runners and their families that all spectators and runners were accounted for.

Debbie noted that by the time the bombs went off on Boylston Street, most of the top runners had already finished the race, and those that were still on the course were those who were there to achieve personal goals.

“All of the runners that were finishing at this time were the average people who wanted to go out there for a personal challenge.”

Speaking of Emily and her Tufts running mates Debbie said, “That finish line was so important to them.”

More Boston Marathon news on San Carlos Patch:

Is Bay to Breakers Too Risky This Year?

County to Remain ‘Extra Vigilant’ After Boston Marathon Explosions

Talking To Your Kids About Boston Marathon Tragedy