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Change of plans may have saved couple uf the field Luvsqu the finish line béfuu' (In: With Mm May~McQuillan inside the fin’Lshc-r's chute and her husband (m the outside. she told him to stay the": and she would mom him. He decided to keep mov ing mwmd the end. Pew! McQuillan was supposed to meet his wife. Carol. at the imcmational flags once she crossed the finish line of Monday's Bostun Marathon. 1110 two commected a short time later in from of Marathon Sports The windows at Marathon Sports wow. blown out by one of the two blasan few minutes later. "I was just malty thankful l km-w whom a Peter was.” Mrs. Mayâ€"McQtnllan said. The MtOuillans were about 5(1) metres from the first explosion ' Mrs. May-McQuillan and she heard a loud noise behind her..towald the finish line. then saw “a huge smoke plumc’. l‘hen it got ‘eerily kind nf quiet. I think everyone was in shock." she recalled Tues- day morning from a balcony of the apart. ment the couple rented at the comer of l-Lxeter and Newbury streets. which is just outside the city's cordon wne. Helicopters flew overhead. as they did for most of Monday night. while at police officers and news crews made the street then home base; ‘deayitseemsllkeawarmneers Instead, he decided to meet her firmer doum the road first blast. Mm May-McQuillan crossed the finish line three minutes earlier. “I was one of the, lucky (nu-s who go! In finish." she A bomb went off in the wrinin of the at 2:50 pm. killing (hire and iniun’ng a! lean! I70. While still maneuvering the finisher's chute following the first explosion. Mrs. May-McQuillan asked felinw nmncn what was happening (me though! the vprskm. now nfficxally deemed a terrorist anack.’ had to do with Pmritm Day (I‘k‘hrannns. Hm gut told her no "Ynu should get (ml at hem" a polar affirm mid hor. [hm is whvn \h(' mm“! m [MHM‘ “lhv fear (m people's [mm .mm llw second bomb. lt'x u'm'hk‘ Hwy'w been through this hcfnn'." er Mm Md)uillan said in Mt‘l't‘lk‘t‘ {09/1 I - ‘If the Stoufivillc residents had stuck with the priginal plan. the mull wuld have been tragic. [he pair me! up and made then way hack to tho apanmem. which was .1 f0“ blocks Mom than 17500 runners or 75 per cem BY SANDRA BOLAN sbnlané’f'yrmg mm ’lhis was Mrs. May-MCQuillan's first time running Boston. She qualified last year in Ottawa after failing do do so a few times before. Mn May-McQuillan had no intention of trying to [equality on Monday. but she did want It) put in a solid four-hour race. Along the way she highâ€"fivud spectators and snapped some pholm Marathon Monday started off great. The sun was shining and the temperature was race-day perfect. "I never thuught I would qualify. I never thought I would be fast enough." the 43-year- old said. Mth poor cellphone service and TV and Inn-mm access cut ufl. they n'nmim-d uhlivi - nus u) what was hamu-ning nn lhv streets bekM Monday night. I‘hc pair plamwd to celebrate at the mar- athon's post-race so they had no food in the apanmcnl. Hwy wow left to celebrate with whath Mm May-MLQLu'llan had left in her race bag as the city went into lock- “The experience is m'omhelming and there‘s nothing like n.‘ she said. 1W0 other Whitchurch-Smufivillc run- nets M-n' list“! in the maralhon's mulls. Ricando Mansumo. 32. finished the race in R It) Huwmw. 4Wymr~nld Nam (Ihapman did not 5.,“ to (rst the fimxh line. Her taro ended \mnonmc aflcr thc 40K ('hwkymim. whk'h \hl' rrmwd \Mlh 411 on (hr rm r ( lurk. Hw firxl humh WP"! on with “N on (hr [in v « lm‘L. away. physically unhannal , “I'm ()K. A little shaken up. [here's a lo! worsepeoplehemthanlam." shesald. Those killed and injured by the bombs were spectators. the family and friends who “just come-'10 support you and it's all about you. You feel bad they carry your stufl around all day and you get to run," Mrs. May-Mdhzillan The pair. who Wl’l'l‘ scheduled to fly to Toronto ‘mesday night. had hoped to return nextyvar.dfislinmwithMr.McQumanrun~ ning. He wants to qualify in Whitby next month. “It makes you think twice about entering a race in the U.S.;" she Both haw rvmmvd m \th‘hun‘h- Slnufix'illv :H‘n' phumgmplu un [wing pup," 8w Sub uniayi‘ Sun lh'lmm' for mnn' ml vmgv 2 WW Mm hm" Mm: News 8mm"? "l'lu‘fi'ar on pt’t)plt"5 Ida's after thv swam! bomb. ll's Icrrihlt'. 'I'hey've been through this before.’