Community Corner

Grayslake Runner Shares Boston Marathon Experience

"There was something very eerie about that second (explosion). I just felt in my heart that it was not a good thing," said Lupe Gallardo-Kathrens, president of the Grayslake Running Club.

When Lupe Gallardo-Kathrens heard the first explosion near the Boston Marathon finish line, she initially didn't know what to think.

She had just crossed the finish line, collected her medal and received the Mylar sheet given to runners to keep them warm.

"Just as I started walking, I heard this loud explosion behind me," said Gallardo-Kathrens, who was one of nine people from Grayslake who ran the marathon. She is the founder and president of the Grayslake Running Club. "Of course everyone around me was all turned around, and all you saw was this big puff of smoke. It was gray, like a cloud. We all stood there and asked each other, 'What was that?'"

And then came the second explosion.

"The first time, you don't know if it was something natural or something," she said. That second explosion, though, was different. "There was something very eerie about that second one. I just felt in my heart that it was not a good thing."

The moments after that were filled with chaos, as runners—including Gallardo-Kathrens—scrambled to get their bags and flee the area.

"I didn't even know where I was walking. I just started walking," she said, adding that she eventually asked for directions and made it back to her hotel.

She met up with another runner from the Grayslake Running Club who had finished the race a half hour before her. He was already watching the news.

"It was then that I realized the gravity of the situation," said Gallardo-Kathrens. She checked with other runners from Grayslake, and they were all safe.

"It's very hard, I think, for everyone. For Boston, feeling the pain and going through this," she said, her voice filled with emotion. "And for the people who came here to celebrate such a prestigious event—when you're a runner, it's what you aspire to. It's supposed to be a celebration of all the hard work."

Speaking with Patch the morning after the marathon, Gallardo-Kathrens said it's even tougher to process, known that the victims "were innocent bystanders and children."

Unity Run

It is those victims and their families that the Grayslake Running Club will honor during a "Unity Run" April 20. The club is inviting anyone who wants to participate to meet in front of Somethings Brewing, 82 E. Center St., at 9 a.m. Gallardo-Kathrens said people can walk or run during the event. She asks that participants wear a race shirt, if they have one, or wear blue and gold, which are the official colors of the Boston Marathon. The group will run about 3 miles.

"It'll be nice to honor people," she said.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here