Three years after losing his left leg in the Boston Marathon bombings that killed three people and injured over 260 more, Boston College alumnus Patrick Downes completed the 120th running of the race on his prosthetic leg. He finished the race in a time of 05:56:46, crossing the finish line at 2:49 p.m.–-the time the first bomb exploded at the finish line in 2013, according to CBS Boston.
Upon completing the 26.2 mile race on a gorgeous day in Boston, Downes immediately embraced his wife Jessica, who lost her left leg as well in the tragedy. A little over a year ago, due to complications, doctors had to amputate her right leg too. At the time of the bombing, they had only been married a few months.
Downes told CBS Boston in an emotional post-race interview,
“I don’t have words for it. From the get-go, people were just on our side, and that’s been the case ever since April 15, 2013.”
“While I think Marathons are incredible things, it’s nothing compared to what Jess has been through the last three years,” he said. “I’m so proud of the way she’s pushed through all the setbacks that she’s had.”
Downes then weaved through the droves of runners and media personnel to find Bill Richard, the father of 8-year-old Martin Richard who was killed in the blast and daughter Jane, who lost her leg.
Speaking to For the Win about Bill and his wife Denise, Downes lauded:
“They’re incredibly special people,” Downes said of the Richards. “Even before all this happened. They just have a character about them that we all should aspire to have.”
Downes was running this year to endow the Boston College Strong Scholarship at his alma mater, to be given to a student with a physical disability.
Patrick and his team need to raise $250,000 in order to fully endow the scholarship at BC. If you’d like to contribute to fund, head over to www.bc.edu/bcstrong.
[h/t CBS Boston, Barstool]