[Lowell978]

First Time poster long time lurker. My question is being a boston native. Is why at 2:45 and why not when the first runners were running threw. If you wanted to make a statement why not on live TV. Knowing this was on live TV in Boston area. and not the rest of the nation. Also there would have been way more people there at that time, at the end of the race. Then when the bombs did go off at the time they did. Just some questions. Pray for the dead and wounded.

[null and void]

No idea. Good questions though.

[penelopesire]

Prayers for you and your city. The bombs could have just not gone off in time frame terrorists were shooting for. Some did not go off at all apparently.

[tomkat]

Others here with marathon experience (1st or 2nd hand) have speculated that the timing of the explosions were a good guesstimate of when the bulk of finishers would be crossing the line.

That the 1st tier competitors would've been done quite awhile previous, and would've crossed the line singly or in small clumps.

The 4hr mark is apparently an 'average' time for an 'average' marathoner, and about when big groups of them would be expected to be present at the site.

[null and void]

S-a-a-a-ay, isn't this the second time you've posted?

Not that we're counting or anything like that...

[Alberta's Child]

Is why at 2:45 and why not when the first runners were running threw.

As someone pointed out earlier today in a comment posted on CNN's website ... that would just end up killing and injuring a bunch of Kenyans and Ethiopians.