Boston Marathon welcomes 30,000 runners 10 years after bombing
Approximately 30,000 athletes are participating in the Boston Marathon on Monday. This year's race marks a somber milestone, as it has been 10 years since two bombs detonated near the finish line in a terror attack.
The explosion killed 8-year-old Martin Richard, 23-year-old Lu Lingzi and 29-year-old Krystle Campbell, while hundreds of others, including Heather Abbott, were injured.
Abott remembers the moment she was hurt. She said she was "catapulted" through open doors of a restaurant, and realized her foot was in a lot of pain after she landed.
Her leg was amputated below the knee. She has since learned to walk again and has even progressed to snowboarding, running part of the marathon course and wearing her beloved heels, which she says represent a part of her she didn't want to give up.
Abbott's healing journey has involved giving back to others. She started a foundation that has assisted over 100 people in obtaining prosthetic devices.
"I've made an effort to not focus on what I can't change. And what I can't change is what happened the day of the Boston Marathon bombing," she said. "So I try to look forward and think about how I can change the future and how I can make it better."
Ten years after the attack, the Boston Marathon still ends at the same location, embodying the "Boston Strong" spirit adopted by the city following the tragedy.
Over the weekend, the city paid tribute to the victims and survivors in a ceremony attended by hundreds of people, including first responders.
The Boston Marathon bombings had a lasting impact on security practices across the country, with other races changing their ways of policing, and intelligence sharing increasing among cities to better prepare for potential threats.
"The fact that it happened at sort of a hometown event just sort of brought this home to the whole nation that these things can happen anywhere," said Ed Davis, who served as the Boston Police commissioner at the time.
Tens of thousands of athletes will be participating in the marathon Monday, but none will be wearing bib number 2013, which was not assigned in recognition of the tragedy.