It’s a race that attracts thousands of runners from all over the world each year, this year, about 2,000 Canadians were among them, with dozens from Edmonton – and many of them were nearby when three massive blasts rang through the downtown core.

More than four hours after the Boston Marathon began; the first explosion sent a shockwave through the area, and seconds later, another blast.

For Ian Morrison, he was several blocks away from the explosions – having finished his race; he was already at his hotel.

“I was in the hotel lobby when I heard the first explosion,” Morrison said in a phoner interview.

“It was clearly an explosion, it sounded like some kind of ordinance or bomb going off, and then a couple of seconds later another went off.”

Runner Sarah Latonas was a little closer, she had walked to get her bag when she heard the blasts.

“I crossed the finish line and had just walked about two blocks away to get my bag and heard this loud boom,” Latonas said.

Latonas said she turned to see smoke, and thought fireworks had been set off – but she quickly learned what had actually happened.

Back in Edmonton, those in the running community were quick to get in touch with each other to find out what happened.

“I was at work, and my phone started going off like a VLT machine and I knew something was wrong,” Avid runner, and CTV Edmonton editor Pam Leier said.

Leier is friends with Latonas, and knows other Edmonton runners who competed in Monday’s race – she had also completed the Boston Marathon herself in 2008.

Even the locations of the bombs were familiar to Leier.

“I know where that bomb went off, my mom and one of my best friends was standing there the year that I ran,” Leier said. “Immediately, I started to feel sick and concerned for all the families and loved ones that were there.”

Leier said in the past, she and other runners have never felt at-risk at such events – but she fears this tragedy will change such athletic events for the foreseeable future.

“I can’t see any marathon runner going out to an event of that magnitude and not thinking about safety and security from this day forward,” Leier said.

For those trying to find out the status of their loved ones who were taking part in the Boston Marathon, and may have been affected by the explosions, contact the Canadian Government by calling 1-800-387-3124, e-mail sos@international.gc.ca, or following @TravelGoC on Twitter.

With files from Susan Amerongen