For Lynnfield Runners, a 'Bone-Chilling' Day

Like most towns in Massachusetts, Lynnfield was well-represented among the ranks of Boston Marathon runners on Monday, as well as among the spectators.

In recent weeks, this website has spoken with several of the runners who participated on Monday, generally in the context of the charities they were supporting. One resident, Michael DiSilvio, 50, ran his fifth Boston Marathon and .

On Tuesday, DiSilvio spoke with Lynnfield Patch about the scene at the Marathon - and about how things could have taken a very tragic turn for his family if they had not been on a trip to Washington, D.C. this week.

DiSilvio reports that his cousin, Ronny, works in a building right where the first bomb went off - and that most years, his wife and three children wait basically at that spot to watch him cross the finish line. DiSilvio even typically stops to pick up his son, Cole, to run across the finish line with him. "That's kind of our routine," said DiSilvio.

"It's just kind of bone-chilling to me," said DiSilvio, who said that just as the bombs went off, he was just about to turn onto Boylston Street, possibly a quarter to a half mile away from the finish line. He added that he would have most likely been far closer when the blast occurred if he hadn't stopped for a few minutes along the way to tend to a blister on his foot. Looking back, he noted "the countless stories that took place on Boylston Street, a lot of split-second stuff."

DiSilvio also reported that he never actually heard any blast. Instead, he said that it was drowned out by the overall noise from around Kenmore Square. Race organizers and police immediately brought the race to a halt, and it took runners a few minutes to know exactly what was happening.

"All of a sudden it was like a massive traffic jam, which never happens," said DiSilvio. "All of a sudden we were slamming into each practically." One runner near DiSilvio reportedly had a cell phone, and Disilvio reported that "we were all just silent, listening to her updates." Race organizers soon told the runners that something had happened, and that they needed to wait.

"Nobody was complaining - they were much more concerned with what was happening a quarter mile away, and with all our loved ones," said DiSilvio, adding that many of the marathoners were getting muscle cramps from the abrupt stop.

Local Karate Instructor Ran With Her Brother, Heard 2nd Blast

Another Lynnfield marathoner, Janice Corkhum, a sensei at Cervizzi's Martial Arts, told Lynnfield Patch that she was at mile marker 25 when the bombing occurred. She reported that she heard the second bomb go off, but did not know what was happening at the time. She also had no cell phone with her, but soon learned of the bombing through word of mouth.

Corkhum was running in her third Boston Marathon to help raise funds for Boston Children's Hospital. For her, one "very scary" moment came when she lost track of her brother, who was running up ahead of her.

More From Local Connections

Also, Alison Colby-Campbell shared a blog post that she created, reflecting on "How Facebook Restored My Faith in Humanity 12.5 Hours after the Boston Marathon Bombing." Click here to read it.

Later Tuesday morning, a woman named Trish emailed Lynnfield Patch to report that she had been at mile 25 with others to cheer on runner Jenn Ventre of Lynnfield. Trish reported seeing the smoke from the blast scene, and then walking to Brookline to get a cab.

A thank you to Courtney Nunley of Lynnfield who provided us with the photo from the scene that can be viewed above. She said she was at Mass. Ave. and Commonwealth Ave. with her husband Nathan and Lynnfielders Kerri Doherty and Courtney Finos when the blasts occurred. "The line of runners looks like the starting line, but sadly, that is where their race ended," she wrote in an email to Lynnfield Patch, adding that "we felt very lucky to be home and healthy last night."