A CHISWICK runner who took part in the Boston Marathon last week showed his support for victims of the bombings by wearing his Boston shirt as he ran a 'dream race' at the London Marathon.
Andy Bass, of Airedale Avenue South, in Chiswick, had no knowledge of the devastating explosions which killed three people and injured hundreds of others last Monday because he finished the longest-running marathon in the world 50 minutes before the first blast.
The speedy 52-year-old was on his way to the airport to catch a flight back to London when he saw the news on CNN and received almost 100 texts from worried family and friends.
In support of the people in Boston who were not as lucky as him, Mr Bass wore his official Boston Marathon shirt and a black ribbon as he took on his second marathon in six days, completing it in 2:57:17.
He also joined 36,000 other runners and a record 700,000 spectators in half a minute's silence on the start line in honour of the Boston bombings victims.
Mr Bass said: "The 30 seconds silence at the start was very moving as you could hear a pin drop throughout, other than the over head helicopters.
"My time was better than I expected, I thought I would have a bit of a meltdown after Boston, just six days before, but for some reason everything clicked and it was a dream race. My original plan was to do Boston in under three hours and limp home in London but the reverse happened.
"Everyone wore black ribbons for the race, which were give out at registration with the runner's packs and The Boston Globe were interviewing athletes who had run in Boston."
