Jun 08 2019
WUNners Safe After Marathon Tragedy

We are relieved to report that none of our nine WUNners was seriously injured in yesterday’s horrific bombing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. And of course, our thoughts are with the many scores of victims and their families.

However, the WUNners did not go completely unaffected. Both Shelby Harris and Jacqueline Sager witnessed the blasts ahead of them as they sprinted for the finish line.

Shelby joined many other runners who were immediately directed off the course and into a parking garage.

Jacqueline is OK now, but the shock of stopping so quickly and witnessing the devastation caused her muscles to shut down and her mind to go blank. Spectators or other runners carried her to an ambulance. But after being cleared and released, her shivering muscles again gave out, and police helped her out of the athlete area.

And Stuart Smith had gotten to the finish line a just 20 seconds before the first blast a mere 30 yards back.

WUN is deeply grateful to our marathon donors, who contributed more than $52,000 toward narcolepsy research.

As WUNner Nancy Chamberlin aptly summed it up, “It was a very emotional day.”