Live

LIVE: The Football Show

09:00 PM-10:00 PM

LIVE: The Football Show
Advertisement
Golf

Patrick Downes becomes first Boston bombing amputee to complete the marathon

Patrick Downes was near the finish line at the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 which killed three...



Patrick Downes becomes first B...
Golf

Patrick Downes becomes first Boston bombing amputee to complete the marathon

Patrick Downes was near the finish line at the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 which killed three people and injured hundreds of others. 

Downes was one of those injured, and had his left leg amputated as a result of the blast. 

On Monday, he completed the marathon in a time of 5:56:46, becoming the first amputee to do so. His wife Jessica, who was also injured in the blast, joined him just past the finish line to celebrate the occasion. 

Image: Boston Marathon bombing survivor Patrick Downes pushes his wife Jessica across the finish line after he finished the 120th Boston Marathon. Elise Amendola / AP/Press Association Images

Downes was joined on the starting line of the race by a number of others who had also been injured in the blast, including Adrianne Haslet, who made it past the halfway mark of the race, and members of the survivors' group 415 Strong

Speaking after the race, Downes told local station WBZ that "I don't have words for it, from the get go people were just on our side [...] and I ran with the city in my heart. Martin [Richard], Sean [Collier], Lingzi [Lu], Krystle [Campbell]".

Patrick's wife Jessica echoed those sentiments, saying that "neither of us would be here if it wasn’t for the support and love of Boston, and our friends and our family and really the whole country".

Via Runner's World

Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!

Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.