Three weeks after the Boston bombings, one of the iconic figures of that tragedy was racing again in Spokane. Bill Iffrig of Lake Stevens, Wash. joined more than 50,000 runners on Sunday for the Bloomsday Run.
You might remember the images of Iffrig on the ground immediately following a blast at the Boston marathon.
For Sunday’s run, the 78-year-old runner wore the same orange shirt he'd worn in Boston as he waited for the starting gun in Spokane.
Spokane's popular 12-kilometer run was a little different this year. Police kept everyone but runners from getting within a block of the start. Helicopters from the sheriff's office and the Department of Homeland Security circled the cloudless sky.
Iffrig was still nursing a sore leg from Boston. His hearing hadn't completely returned either. But after crossing the finish line, Iffrig said the attack won't keep him from running.
“I'm not going to let it stop me for one thing,” he said. “I don't think it's going to happen that much again—I certainly hope not. But no, I'm not going to let that stop me.
“It's something I like to do … and I'm going to keep doing it as long as I can.”
