ImageMalcolm Bugler is hugged by Ellen Brenner, co-owner of Fleet Feet Sports in Brighton, as he arrives at the store for a memorial run Tuesday in memory of the victims at Monday's Boston Marathon. Bugler ran in the marathon, and finished about 40 minutes before the two bomb explosions went off at the finish line. Malcolm had finished the marathon and was on the way back to his hotel when he heard the explosions.

“When I actually got back to the Marriott and I saw the television coverage, I was stunned,” he said. “I just went through probably one of the best experiences of my life. To see that almost destroyed in front of my face, it’s like, ‘Why would anyone do that?’”

Bugler spent the next few hours finding the rest of his running group from Fleet Feet and contacting his family members through Facebook because cellphones weren’t working. When he returned home, he heard about the run at Fleet Feet. Too sore to run himself, he thanked the crowd for coming out.

“It’s only just sinking in now the enormity of the thing that happened,” he said. “Running is a celebration of what you can achieve and personal success and freedom and to have that challenged is just unthinkable.”

Bugler said Monday’s attack won’t dampen his spirit for the sport.

“I will go back to Boston, you can guarantee,” he said.

Bugler is also running the Flower City Half Marathon on April 28, a 13.1 mile run through downtown Rochester. Along with a 5K, the Flower City Challenge is expected to attract more than 3,000 runners.

(excerpt from D&C article 4/16/13: Emotional Rochester running community soldiers on after Boston attacks" by Megan DeMARO, staff writer and phoyo by SHAWN DOWD//staff photographer)