The pair of explosions that killed three people and injured more than 140 others near the Boston Marathon finish line Monday may have struck fear in the hearts of Jacksonville runners. It’s unlikely, though, to stop them from doing what they love.
Jacksonville runner Jason Toney works at 1st Place Sports. He says his goal has always been to participate in the Boston Marathon, and Monday’s explosions aren’t going to change that. If anything, it could make him even more determined to get there.
"Basically make whoever did this know that we're still out there running," Toney says. "We're still gonna go out there, put in miles. We're gonna go travel to Chicago, New York, Boston. Go enjoy these events we all aspire to."
While personal safety has always been a concern, Toney says it wasn't until Monday that runners realized they also needed to worry about about the people who came to their races to watch and support them.
Still, he says, if he ever makes it to the Boston Marathon he wants friends and family there to cheer him on.
"You're going to want the support and everything there for you whenever you finish. But I think even at these big events where there's such an amount of people in such a small area, those precautions that need to be made are going to be made. I think that's something that has to happen going forward."
Toney says Jacksonville runners will likely start training at the end of this month for the Chicago Marathon in October.
He says he expects that race to be safer than it’s ever been.
