Owner of Route 16 Running and Walking Reacts to Boston Marathon Explosions

Miguel Galeana, who owns Route 16 Running and Walking in Gig Harbor, spoke with Patch after learning about the two explosions at the Boston Marathon that injured at least 22 people and killed two on Monday.

Officials said the blasts occurred close to the finish line about five hours after the start of the race.

Thousands of runners, including six from Gig Harbor, were in Boston to run the Marathon, normally a festive day for the city.

“First thing you think of is your friends,” he said. “The Boston Marathon is a once in a lifetime opportunity for a lot of people.”

He said he knows about at least 8 people from the area who are either participating or watching the race in Boston this year and has been able to confirm their safety via Facebook.

His former employee posted an update saying he witnessed limbs that were severed due to the impact of the explosion.

For Galeana, who is also an avid runner, the news hits especially close to home. He ran in the marathon last year, where runners had to battle unusually high temperatures during the race.

As an organizer for some of the local races, including Race for a Soldier in Gig Harbor, Galeana said safety is a top priority.

“The Race for a Soldier is not necessarily a large event like the Boston Marathon, but [these deadly explosions in Boston] will be running in my mind as we work with police and medics at this year’s race,” he said.

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