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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Boston Marathon: Welsh runners tell of explosion horror | Boston Marathon: Welsh runners tell of explosion horror |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Runners from Wales have spoken of the "horror" of being caught up in two explosions near the finishing line of the Boston Marathon. | Runners from Wales have spoken of the "horror" of being caught up in two explosions near the finishing line of the Boston Marathon. |
| Owain Griffiths, Emma Clatworthy Davies, Stuart Trimby and Matt Bauer, all from Cardiff, were around the finish when the blasts happened. | |
| In the chaos and confusion that followed, the friends became separated. | In the chaos and confusion that followed, the friends became separated. |
| Mr Griffiths, 37, who was running his 49th marathon, told BBC Wales he felt "very, very lucky". | Mr Griffiths, 37, who was running his 49th marathon, told BBC Wales he felt "very, very lucky". |
| The property consultant said: "There was a group of us all staying at the same hotel and all running at a similar type of pace but I was a bit off the pace, not feeling great, and so just behind them all. | The property consultant said: "There was a group of us all staying at the same hotel and all running at a similar type of pace but I was a bit off the pace, not feeling great, and so just behind them all. |
| "I was half a mile from the finish line when the bombs went off. I don't usually wear my phone but I had headphones in listening to music so I couldn't hear anything. | "I was half a mile from the finish line when the bombs went off. I don't usually wear my phone but I had headphones in listening to music so I couldn't hear anything. |
| "Army marshals stopped us and thousands of runners were piling up behind me. They diverted us off the course. | "Army marshals stopped us and thousands of runners were piling up behind me. They diverted us off the course. |
| "Pretty much straight away I started getting texts as the news started filtering through - two bombs had gone off." | "Pretty much straight away I started getting texts as the news started filtering through - two bombs had gone off." |
| Before the phone network was shutdown, Mr Griffiths was able to phone his brother back in the UK to let him know he was safe. | Before the phone network was shutdown, Mr Griffiths was able to phone his brother back in the UK to let him know he was safe. |
| He said: "One of my friends, Felicity, who is from Reading, was 200 metres from the finishing line when the bombs went off. | He said: "One of my friends, Felicity, who is from Reading, was 200 metres from the finishing line when the bombs went off. |
| "So she was right there and saw it. She rang me after to tell me she was safe and how lucky she was. | "So she was right there and saw it. She rang me after to tell me she was safe and how lucky she was. |
| "She said she saw the explosions and didn't know what to do. She was terrified, she didn't know whether to keep on running but she ran onto the pavement and was pulled to safety by a really nice family who took her away from the area." | "She said she saw the explosions and didn't know what to do. She was terrified, she didn't know whether to keep on running but she ran onto the pavement and was pulled to safety by a really nice family who took her away from the area." |
| Mr Griffiths managed to contact his other friends - Emma Clatworthy Davies, 35, Matt Bauer, 33, and Stuart Trimby, 36. | Mr Griffiths managed to contact his other friends - Emma Clatworthy Davies, 35, Matt Bauer, 33, and Stuart Trimby, 36. |
| He said: "Emma had finished and collected her medal when they went off and then she just ran away from there. Matt was OK but Stu was unaccounted for, which was a real worry but we eventually found him and he was OK." | He said: "Emma had finished and collected her medal when they went off and then she just ran away from there. Matt was OK but Stu was unaccounted for, which was a real worry but we eventually found him and he was OK." |
| The friends were told by police to return to their hotel and stay there. | The friends were told by police to return to their hotel and stay there. |
| Mr Griffiths said: "We could hear ambulances and police cars - it was really upsetting. This is my 49th marathon and I've run Boston before. What was meant to be a day of enjoyment turned into one of an unthinkable horror show. | Mr Griffiths said: "We could hear ambulances and police cars - it was really upsetting. This is my 49th marathon and I've run Boston before. What was meant to be a day of enjoyment turned into one of an unthinkable horror show. |
| "There was just a state of total confusion and shock." | "There was just a state of total confusion and shock." |
| Mr Griffiths is due to fly back to the UK later on Tuesday. | Mr Griffiths is due to fly back to the UK later on Tuesday. |
| He said: "I just want to get home now. I feel so lucky, very lucky. Normally I'm all out and sprinting towards the finish line and had I been a bit quicker I may have been caught up in the bombs. | He said: "I just want to get home now. I feel so lucky, very lucky. Normally I'm all out and sprinting towards the finish line and had I been a bit quicker I may have been caught up in the bombs. |
| "I'm very saddened this morning to hear about the injuries and the little boy. It's a day I will never forget." | "I'm very saddened this morning to hear about the injuries and the little boy. It's a day I will never forget." |
| Mr Griffiths' running mate Ms Clatworthy Davies from Cardiff told BBC Wales the blasts happened shortly after she had crossed the finish line and collected her medal. | Mr Griffiths' running mate Ms Clatworthy Davies from Cardiff told BBC Wales the blasts happened shortly after she had crossed the finish line and collected her medal. |
| She said: "I looked at all the smoke and chaos and for a split second I thought maybe it was just a Patriots' Day cannon fire and then seconds later the second one went off and then you realise, oh my God, there's something really bad." | She said: "I looked at all the smoke and chaos and for a split second I thought maybe it was just a Patriots' Day cannon fire and then seconds later the second one went off and then you realise, oh my God, there's something really bad." |
| Ms Clatworthy Davies met Mr Bauer shortly afterwards but the pair could not trace Mr Trimby, also from Cardiff, for around an hour. | Ms Clatworthy Davies met Mr Bauer shortly afterwards but the pair could not trace Mr Trimby, also from Cardiff, for around an hour. |
| She said: "We walked back to the hotel and Matt went to Massachusetts General Hospital, which was next door to the hotel, and they said he hadn't been in. It was awful." | She said: "We walked back to the hotel and Matt went to Massachusetts General Hospital, which was next door to the hotel, and they said he hadn't been in. It was awful." |
| 'Confusion' | 'Confusion' |
| Eventually Mr Trimby made his way back to the hotel. | Eventually Mr Trimby made his way back to the hotel. |
| Ms Clatworthy Davies said: "We were just in shock for hours and hours and hours. It's the most terrific city - and we're just gutted that it had ended like that." | Ms Clatworthy Davies said: "We were just in shock for hours and hours and hours. It's the most terrific city - and we're just gutted that it had ended like that." |
| Mr Trimby was a few minutes behind his friends. | Mr Trimby was a few minutes behind his friends. |
| He said: "I was on the course when it happened and I heard two explosions. I turned the corner just before the 26-mile marker and I got blocked off by the police. There were police everywhere and sirens going off everywhere and, I guess, confusion. | He said: "I was on the course when it happened and I heard two explosions. I turned the corner just before the 26-mile marker and I got blocked off by the police. There were police everywhere and sirens going off everywhere and, I guess, confusion. |
| "I didn't have a phone with me and I made my way back to the hotel and met up with them and just relived that every one was safe, really." | "I didn't have a phone with me and I made my way back to the hotel and met up with them and just relived that every one was safe, really." |
| Mr Trimby said he felt an overwhelming sense of anger and sadness. | Mr Trimby said he felt an overwhelming sense of anger and sadness. |
| He said: "Without a doubt this marathon was without a doubt the best marathon I've done - it was just a really good day out for everyone and to have it ruined in this way was really sad and obviously really sad for those people directly affected by it." | He said: "Without a doubt this marathon was without a doubt the best marathon I've done - it was just a really good day out for everyone and to have it ruined in this way was really sad and obviously really sad for those people directly affected by it." |