Organizers of upcoming marathons in the Edmonton area are reassuring the public that there are no concerns an attack similar to the Boston Marathon explosions, could happen here, but safety protocols will be revisited.

The Edmonton founder of North America’s largest running and walking retail store also says changes to how marathons are organized and executed will come in light of the explosions, but runners shouldn’t quit participating because of the attack.

“Terrorists is about terrorizing us and we’ve got to be cognisant of that, we’ve got to be careful but at the same time we can’t quit going to marathons no more than we’re going to quit going to hockey games, baseball games, rock concerts, gatherings at a big mall function or something,” Running Room Founder John Stanton said to CTV News Tuesday.

“We have to stand up and say no. What we’re doing is good. It’s good for health and wellness and mental attitude.”

Dozens of Edmontonians were in Boston for the marathon when two bombs detonated Monday – killing three people including an eight-year-old boy – and injuring 176 others.

No Canadians were among the dead or injured.

Stanton knew a number of employees and friends taking part in the marathon.

He said changes will come to future marathons as a result of the explosions.

“I can tell you all marathons now as a result of this will be much more vigilant in what they’re doing,” he said.

Grant Fedoruk is the organizer with St. Albert's Run Wild half-marathon set for early May.

Fedoruk says organizers plan to work with police to revisit safety protocols for the event, in light of the Boston Marathon bombings.

"We have to look at what happened, is there anything we can change or add?" Fedoruk said.

"Take it as an opportunity to look at what we have done in the past and what we can do better."

The Edmonton Police Foundation Marathon is getting set for its fifth year and are hoping for more than 1,800 participants.

Trevor Soll with the foundation marathon doesn't think participants should be concerned such an attack would occur in Edmonton, as small local events are typically not targets for these types of attacks.

"We don't have the international aspect where the terrorist organization are going to want to hit that because they get the big, international coverage," Soll said.

"There really is no benefit for an organizatio like that to target something like that here, locally."

Stanton says big marathons are already vigilant in security and safety protcols and work closely with police and first responders in case of emergency situations.

“A lot of them have good plans in place. You saw how quickly the first responders (in Boston) started to respond to it. You also saw in the clips where all of a sudden there’s a sea of runners coming in and then all of a sudden there’s no runners coming in. Where did they go? There was a plan where they were diverted,” Stanton said.

Stanton predicts there will be more restrictions and increased security for future marathons but urges the public not to let the act, which U.S. President Barack Obama called a ‘heinous and cowardly’ act of terrorism, hold people back.

“We have to realize that whether it’s running a marathon, whether it’s going to the local mall, whether it’s the concert or the other sporting event, we’re still going to do these things,” Stanton said.

“We can’t let terrorism rob our freedoms of living our lives in our communities.”

Officials say the bombs that detonated at the Boston Marathon Monday were made out of pressure cookers packed with shrapnel – devices designed to inflict as much damage as possible.

The devices were hidden inside black duffel bags.

Of the 176 people injured – officials say 17 of them are in critical condition.

Of the three people who died – one has been identified as eight-year-old Martin Richard, who was waiting for his father at the finish line.

If you're a Canadian involved in the Boston Marathon explosion and need assistance, contact @TravelGoC 1-800-387-3124 or sos@international.gc.ca.