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Benet Grad's Joy of Personal Best at Boston Marathon Turns to Horror

After posting her personal best at the Boston Marathon, Benet Academy alumna Colleen Huml of Wheaton heard news of explosions upon her return from the race.

Benet Academy alumna and Wheaton native Colleen Huml's excitement after finishing the Boston Marathon with a personal best time was quickly replaced with horror when she learned two explosions had gone off at the finish line.

Huml finished the marathon with a personal best time of 3:14, two minutes before her sister, Catherine Huml, and 16 minutes before her mom, Marianne Huml. 

"We were super excited to be running together and to have qualified, because it's tough to do," Huml said while waiting for an evening flight out of Boston late Monday afternoon. "... We ran unusually fast, so we were done earlier, (and) we were super excited with our times."

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Upon returning to their hotel about two blocks from the finish area, Huml and her family learned of the explosions and soon after saw police respond to the area.

"It went from pure excitement and (the) joy of finishing the Boston Marathon with my mom and my sister, at such great times, to just... horror and sadness, and worry," she said. 

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Huml, a grad student studying global health at Notre Dame University, ran as a part of the Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA), and said her mom was still trying to reach friends from their running group back at the hotel.

"It's clear the city works so hard to put this on. ... The residents enjoy it so much. ... It's so sad for everyone (who was there)," she said.

Dozens of people were injured and two were reportedly killed by two explosions near the Boston Marathon finish line, according to Back Bay Patch.

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