Local Marathoner Safe Since She Didn't Go to Boston

Christi Paine was registered to run in today's Boston Marathon, but personal reasons kept her from going to Boston. That decision kept her safe from the two explosions that occurred near the finish line almost four hours into the race.

"Everyone I know who is there is OK and wasn't near it," she said.

Her phone has been ringing off the hook with friends calling her to make sure she's OK, as they knew she had registered – but didn't know she hadn't gone to Boston.

Visit this website to check up on loved ones who ran the Boston Marathon, or call 617-635-4500.

Here is our coverage from Patch in the Boston area.

Most of the people she knows who had gone to Boston, however, are from Buckhead and Marietta. She wasn't familiar with any of the marathoners from Alpharetta or Milton who also registered to run.

"We are all reading it on the Internet and looking at it. It's just devastating," Paine said.

An employee at Big Peach Running Co. at its Windward Parkway store, she said she's run the Boston Marathon three times.

"And just looking at it and knowing how crowded it is, to feel how happy those people are nearing the finish line, it's just a horrible thing, it's just unimaginable," she said.

The timing of the explosions was fortunate, she said.

"The elite people come in real quick," she said.

"From three hours to about 3:45 is when there are just tons of people finishing. The majority of qualifying times fall within that range," she said.

The explosions came a little bit beyond that time, she said.