UK Firefighter Finishes Boston Marathon Minutes before Explosions

A firefighter from Leeds has told how he “fortunate” to cross the finish line just minutes before two bomb explosions caused carnage at the Boston Marathon.

Death and destruction descended on the event on Monday as the blasts killed two and injured at least 23 people.

Jez Hughes, a firefighter at Morley fire station who also lives in the town, was running the marathon for The Firefighters Charity.

He described how he had crossed the finish line and was walking to the subway with his wife when they heard two explosions.

“I had already finished and a few of us had congregated 100 yards past the finish line,” he said.

“I was waiting for my wife as I had asked her to meet me there but she was in the family area.

“Fortunately for me I went round the corner there to meet her.

“While we were going to the subway we heard two explosions. I said straight away that sounds like a bomb and then we heard a second one.

“We were a couple of blocks out of the way.”

He added: “Our condolences go out to those who have lost loved ones.”

A spokesman for Morley fire station said firefighters had been on a call-out when they heard the news.

He said: “We were coming back from a job and one of the guys saw a news flash on his phone. Obviously we put the news on as soon as we got back.

“Thankfully our control centre called to say that he was OK.”

Mr Hughes qualified for the world’s oldest marathon with a time of three hours and 21 minutes in Belfast last May.

Speaking ahead of the event he said: “The race is one of the hardest in the USA, but it will be a great experience and will definitely be worth it.”

A list of competitors on the Boston Marathon website showed hundreds of British runners were expected to line up for the race.

The site lists more than 25,000 participants, 347 of which are British – although it is unclear whether any were caught in the blasts.