BREAKING NEWS POST 2:24 PM Mountain Time
When the explosion at the Boston Marathon occurred, Jim Berve of Billings had just crossed the finish line moments before. To hear Berve describe it- he heard a boom, turned around, saw smoke, and then heard a second boom. “We didn’t know what was going on,” said Berve as he spoke with Northern Broadcasting’s Sports Director Rocky Erickson just moments after the blast.
Berve was in his hotel room one block from the finish line. At the time, he described what he called “pure pandemonium outside.”
Berve, with Fisher Construction, just completed his 2nd Boston Marathon.
“I had no clue what was going on. I didnt know, I didn’t have my cellphone. I was all alone, could hardly walk, half lost- it’s a big city.” Then, Berve added, “as stuff started coming together I started learning it was a bomb…I was riding (in the hotel elevator) with a runner that didn’t get to finish because she was just before the finish line before it went off.
Click below to listen to the full interview with Jim Berve and Northern Broadcasting’s Sports Director Rocky Erickson.
Click to Listen
Per Keila Szpaller with The Missoulian also had this to report via Twitter Monday afternoon:
Runner’s Edge’s Vicky Mix said colleagues had updates from Missoula runners J.P. Yonce Vo VonSehlen Pam Estill that 3 are OK
Here is video from The Boston Globe after the explosions:
INITIAL POST
As the breaking news hits the wires that explosions appear to have hit the Boston Marathon, there are at least 41 Montanans who were running in today’s marathon.
The Montana Standard had the full list available by clicking here.
From the Standard:
A total of 41 Montanans — 21 women and 20 men — were confirmed to be participating in Monday’s 2013 Boston Marathon as of Sunday night.
The Bozeman-Belgrade area has the most participants with 12, while Missoula and Billings have seven apiece.