Concord Woman Runs Through Wreckage to Finish Marathon

A Concord woman narrowly avoided being caught in one of the explosions that killed three people and maimed hundreds of others at the Boston Marathon Monday.

Jo Anne Rowland, 65, told NBC News that had the first bomb detonated 10 seconds later she would have been right in front of the blast. When she heard the noise she knew it was a bomb, but continued to run to the finish line, which was just yards away. She passed smoke and wreckage as she ignored spectators who were urging her to turn around. 

“All I could think is, I just have to get over the finish line. My whole focus was that,” Rowland told NBC. 

After crossing the finish line, it took her two hours to reunite with her husband.