Muskego Marathoner: 'This is a Tragedy for Boston'

They say it's all about finishing when you are a marathon runner, and in Muskego resident Luai Tabbal's case on Monday, it's also about how quickly.

Tabbal ran and finished the Boston Marathon in 3:18:31, crossing the finish line for the fourth time in the past five years. He said it was about 1:40 p.m. local time.

"I was actually a little slower than some of my group," he chuckled. "I had gone beyond the finish line to the area where you get your medal and water bottle, and I had caught up with the other runners I came with."

About a half an hour later, Tabbal described one, then two booms coming from two blocks behind him.

"I didn't think much of it - I thought it sounded like a dump truck banging," he said.

Running partner Mike Beix told Muskego Patch he thought it was part of the celebration at the finish line, like fireworks.

"I didn't think it was explosives really, but it was very loud - it was like a cannon going off," Beix said.

However, when the group got back to their hotel room, they learned the news that the sounds were that of two package bombs which detonated at 2:09 p.m. 

The running community, Tabbal and Beix said, is close, and their thoughts were with the families of the dead and injured, but also for other runners and the race that so many strive to be a part of.

"This is a tragedy for Boston - it's a holiday here," Tabbal said. "So many runners come here and the last thing you want to here is that you cannot finish the race."

Beix added, "The people here and the atmosphere of the race is just phenomenal. It's a festive occasion, with tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people cheering runners on. It's just such a sad day for such a great event."