Volume 125 Issue 105
kansan.com
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY BANSAN
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
NATIONAL TRAGEDY
LIVING THROUGH TERROR
Kansas City native recounts experience of Boston Marathon bombing
At 1:34 p.m., Greg Hall crossed the finish line at the Boston Marathon. He had just completed a personal best on the course, finishing in three hours and 28 minutes.
When the 58-year-old Kansas Citian was done — before he wanted water or juice, or a fresh set of clothes — he walked back toward that finish line and snapped a picture.
The shot showed hundreds, if not thousands of people standing at the event's end. Spectators look exhausted and fans are blurred together on the now infamous sidewalks.
"It's so crazy now to think of that picture," Hall said. "It shows people finishing and being tired, which is what it should look like at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Not the carnage and smoke and all the after effects of the violence."
On Monday afternoon just after 2:50, an unthinkable act struck an untouchable event.
The story of America's heroes were born in Boston.
The United States stopped and its eyes turned to Boston — America's town. The place where something as simple as tea became a symbol and the country found its identity.
When the bombs exploded, Hall was five or six blocks down the road. He just retrieved his clothes and sat on the pavement eating a bag of potato chips. He didn't hear the blast.
Here in Lawrence, texts and phone calls went back and forth between students and loved ones. The blasts shook everyone. Including Hall's wife and sons, who were back home in Kansas City.
"We just got word that there had been an explosion," Hall said. "You immediately go into denial. We didn't understand until later on.
"Then the city changed."
--base, punched in "Kansas City," "Overland Park," and local area codes to find the runners near him. He came up with a list that had around 125 names.
Over a month before the race, the Boston Marathon sends an update to its runners. Part of that update includes a database of those in the race. That's how Greg Hall got the idea.
He wanted to meet the other Kansas City marathoners that qualified for Boston.
So he played with the database, punched in "Kansas City," "Overland Park," and local area codes to find the runners near him. He came up with a list that had around 125 names.
He mailed those names, used social networking and his own popular blog website to contact those runners.
He held an event, a pasta buffet to carbo-load, at Johnny Cascone's in Overland Park. More than 40 runners came, and with their guests, 70 people total.
"I didn't know if anyone would say, 'Screw that, I'm not going to meet a bunch of strangers,'" Hall said. "Literally that's what we all were."
Each would return with a story far more substantial than they could imagine.
And Hall blogged about the event on GregHallKC.com, where he shared the personal stories of 14 strangers that prepared for the most grueling few hours of their lives.
This is what the Boston Marathon represents. People who don't know each other coming together for one mission, one goal of personal success.
Going to Boston, as Hall likes to simply put it, is a big deal.
"It's like the said. "You're going to Boston to run the Marathon. And that made it special."
"It's like the golden ticket," he
--households sat paralyzed in front of their TVs. On April 15, social media brought everyone to Boston's finish line.
On an average Monday, we witnessed the next chapter of Boston's heroes.
On Sept. 11,
most American
Greg Hall went back toward the incident Monday afternoon. He wasn't sure if America had caught on, and with Twitter, he had an opportunity to broadcast both the tragedy and the bravery.
That's where the heroes were seen.
"It made you feel good about being an American."
"These guys were stern." Hall said. "But they were understanding of human feelings. They knew they were dealing with people in tremendous shock. They were just so professional.
Police officers, soldiers and bystanders ran into the smoke without flinching to try to save lives. To help their fellow humans.
There's little question that these heroes weren't sure what exactly had happened, if more danger laid under cowardess cover.
"Even in the backdrop of a terrorist attack people can treat strangers with great empathy and care. On the other side, they can blow up 8-year-old kids."
It didn't matter to those who helped. To those who risked never talking to loved ones again to help someone else reach theirs.
There are sick people in this world. People who make your eyes water and stomachs turn to knots.
GREG HALL Marathon runner and blogger
But those few demented are far outnumbered by the those that are good. By those that mean well. By those who just want to live good lives.
"The people of Boston were just incredible," Hall said. "They were inviting people into their homes, standing on the corner and beckoning people in."
These good people come from
And those good people that were placed in the unfortunate spot near the finish line Monday proved that when all seems so bad, there is still good in this world.
every nation,
from all religions
or no religion at
all.
band together. They are America's heroes. They will stay strong when it's so easy to be weak.
The people of Boston will
"Even in the backdrop of a terrorist attack people can treat strangers with great empathy and care," Hall said. "On the other side, they can blow up 8-year-old kids."
But there is still much sorrow to soak in.
"They later said it was a controlled blast," Hall said. "But none of the police acted like they knew it was controlled. They just went into first alert, screaming and yelling at
The explosion took place less than one block away.
He didn't hear the first two blasts, but he sure heard the third. The controlled one conducted by Boston bomb squad.
--people that it's not safe."
Greg Hall's eyes watched frightened patrons flee. He watched mothers grab their crying children to leave the scene.
Thirty minutes later, Hall sat in a cafe charging his phone. Police busted in the building and called for everyone to get out.
These scenes took place across Boston on Monday, for the city wasn't safe. At least, it didn't feel that way.
"Boom," Hall said. "Everybody got up and just ran. (When) you see a bunch of guys come in with assault rifles and tell you to get out, there's no argument going on."
Scenes like this made it hard for Hall to sleep that fateful Monday evening. Typically, the exhaustion of running a marathon could put any person into a night-long coma. There was nothing typical about Monday.
While laying in bed sleepless, Hall only had one image in his mind. That he was on an airplane headed back home, buckling his seatbelt and letting out a sigh of drastic proportions.
On Tuesday, Greg Hall made it to the airport. There he saw a number of familiar faces flying back home. People from the lunch a week before.
He was hugging those strangers that suddenly didn't seem so strange.
"It was really emotional," he said. "Here's people that hadn't known each other for more than a week, but really glad to see each other still around."
They were united by the common bond that is the Boston Marathon.
Stories were shared, but in brevity. Everyone was there. Everyone lived it. There was no need to review the terror.
And then they took off. Headed home. A completed dream from Hall's sleepless night.
"It's good to be back," Hall said.
"Normalcy is back. Dad's here."
Edited by Dylan Lysen
Greg Green | gregha24
This is the view of BostonMarathon finishing line after you cross and look back. Good to be done.pic.twitter.com/jbw9q8pAf
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15 Ap
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Greg Hall gregai24 15 Apr
ANOTHER bomb just went off right by where I'm standing. People running, screaming, crying, INSANE!
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Greg Hall greghall24 15 A9 Emergency vehicles awaiting possible injuries in downtown Boston. pic.twitter.com/VwmP7V1LD0
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Greg Hall @gregha12 15 Ap
Emergency vehicles clogging Columbus Street in downtown Boston.
I've never seen this kind if response. pic.twitter.com/7IL2osQ2w
Hide photo. Ready. Refunded. Buyout.
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Campus, city preps for storied Kansas Relays
TRACK AND FIELD
COLIN WRIGHT cwright@kansan.com
The Kansas Relays, which date back to 1923, brings some of the best track and field athletes from Kansas and around the world to Lawrence this weekend. Memorial Stadium and the Douglas County Fairgrounds will host the storied event that offers a number of storylines. While the baseball, softball and soccer teams play on the
cwright@kansan.com
road this weekend, this is your best chance to check out what the track and field teams have to offer. It is the biggest regular season meet of the year for the Jayhawks. Here are a few things to watch for.
WEDNESDAY:
Men's shot put has taken place downtown at 8th and Massachusetts Street the last two years, but because of inclement weather in the forecast,
it has been moved to the Douglas County Fairgrounds. It's one of the most unique events in the world. The shot put will feature returning champion Reese Hoffa, who picked up a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics, as well as Christian Cantwell, who won the silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The event has gone over so well the past two years that ESPN3 will air it live both online and on mobile devices.
THURSDAY:
The event is Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, located at 2110 Harper St. in Lawrence.
Similar to the men's shot put, the women's long Jump, previously located on Massachusetts Street, will also be moved to the Douglas County Fairgrounds because of potential rain and strong winds. Janay DeLo-
FRIDAY:
If you enjoy long distance races.
ach, last year's winner, will return in 2013 as well as a slew of other top athletes. The event will also feature live music and an appearance by everyone's favorite mascot. Admission is free to both Wednesday and Thursday night events at the Fairgrounds. The event is Thursday at 6 p.m.
Memorial Stadium is the place to be on Friday. The evening session will feature the 3,000 meter men's and women's steepechase, followed by the 4-mile relay. There will be a number of preliminary races on Friday. The finals of the men's and women's 4x1600 meter relay will highlight the top college teams in
SEE RELAYS PAGE 9