About four hours after the start of the 117th Boston Marathon in 2013, I was inside a city subway car near the race's finish line.
It wasn't until emerging from the station in Westborough, Mass., where my hotel was, that I learned two bombs had exploded on Boylston Street. On the seven-hour drive home to Baltimore and in the days that followed, I learned more — three dead, more than 260 injured.
The country, including a diverse community of runners, was left grasping.
Before the bombs went off on April 15, 2013, I was pleasantly surprised that spectators were so engaged in and excited about the 26.2-mile race. When I returned in 2014 to watch the 118th edition, I was in awe.
On April 21, 2014, more than 36,000 runners — including 600 from Maryland, a 33 percent increase from the previous year — decided to run the first race after the attack. Some told me they ran because, after 2013, they felt they had to.
As the runners worked their way from Hopkinton to Boston, the cheers along some areas of the course were deafening.
On an already emotional day, it was almost unbelievable when Meb Keflezighi became the first American male runner to win the Boston Marathon since 1983.
The fastest man and woman from Maryland that day were Graham Peck (two hours, 26 minutes, 36 seconds) and Emily Hurley (3:05:28), both of Baltimore.
But, for many in attendance, time was of little importance.