RSM Locals at Boston Marathon, Site of Two Blasts

Several Rancho Santa Margarita residents ran in the Boston Marathon on Monday, with some finishing before two bomb blasts killed three people and injured at least 176—including 17 in critical condition—near the finish line.

• Watch: The latest on the Boston Marathon explosions
• Read: Increased security measures for O.C. Marathon on May 5
• Read: O.C. deputies add to reward to catch Boston Bomber
• Blog: Rebecca Goddard on the need to keep running
• Blog: Ann Corwin on talking to kids about the bombing

A runner from Mission Viejo, one of seven, was less than a block from the finish line when the bombs went off.

"I thought it was a gunshot," said Sally Boles, who was in her 13th-floor hotel room at Boston Marriott Copley Place at the time. She didn't realize the noise was a bomb until about five minutes later when a friend called from Southern California.

"It's crazy," Boles said of the scene following the explosions. "There are 20 ambulances outside our hotel room. There are policemen everywhere. At first they were shooing everyone from the finish line. Now (at 1:30 p.m. PST) there are no spectators left."

Men in fatigues soon converged on the scene in black SUVs, she said. And police with dogs were combing the area.

"It's kind of like 9/11 all over again," Boles said.

Before the blasts, the avid runner had been enjoying the race. She chugged a beer at mile 11 and high-fived over 1,000 people, she said.

"It was simply an amazing day until I got that phone call," she said.

Dozens of Orange County residents participated in the storied marathon, including Laguna Beach's John Loftus, who won the age 54-59 division. Most of the Orange County runners finished the race before the explosions. There was no immediate word on whether any were among those injured by the explosion.

According to the Boston Athletic Association site, these local runners participated in the event:

• 970th place overall (23 in class). Mark Donaldson, Trabuco Canyon, 2 hours, 51 minutes, 50 seconds
• 14,270th place (1,718th in class). Steve Klein, Trabuco Canyon, 3:51:54
• 16,736 (974). Patricia Klein, Trabuco Canyon, 4:04:46
• 17,074 (1,037). Diana Hughes, Trabuco Canyon, 4:08:23
• NA (NA) Lacie Gregson, Trabuco Canyon, Did Not Start
• NA (NA) Tom Hosner, Trabuco Canyon
• 10,002 (383). Roger Greene, Coto de Caza, 3:35:38
• 11,569 (567). Tammy Basile, Coto de Caza, 3:41:04
• 16,115 (1,465). Ben Putman, Coto de Caza, 4:00:19
• NA (NA) Michael Lane, Coto de Caza (half: 1:58:45)
• NA (NA) Mary Lane, Coto de Caza (half: 2:05:55)

Patch has received word that Donaldson, Hughes, Hosner, the Kleins and the Lanes are OK, and Lacie Gregson remained in California and did not participate.

Patch will provide updates. Martin Henderson and Pete Schelden contributed to this article.