The Malden Park Runners train year round for all sorts of races, but none is more important to them than the Boston Marathon.
Some were returning to Boston Monday to thank the supportive and resilient people there.
"It's the big one. Everyone tries to get there. If you say you've gone to Boston, it's a big thing,” says Rich Ditty.
"It's always kind of stressful getting there, this year's going to be special, though,” added Cathy Siu.
Ditty was about three blocks away when last year’s bombs went off.
“We heard the bombs go off. We didn't know it was a bomb we thought it was just a fire."
Local runners say the 118th running of the Boston Marathon is about moving on.
“Obviously with all the events of last year, the tragedy is going to be more emotional. Boston is always pretty emotional anyway," Siu says.
Returning was never a question for local runners.
“People in Boston are awesome. The event is amazing - how people in Boston support you, and I think people want to support the people in Boston because they treat you so well there," Ditty says.
"It says that so many people are not willing to back down to terrorism,” Siu says.
About 2,500 Canadians ran in the Boston Marathon Monday. The Malden Park club sent about a dozen runners.
