Local runners, spectators reported to be safe By JaNAE FRANCIS Standard-Examiner jfrancis@standard.net Thousands of Utahns worried and waited to hear from friends and acquaintances who had traveled to Boston for the annual Boston Marathon. Among them was Gov. Gary R. Herbert, who worried about the safety of his own daughter, Jeanette, who was participating in the race. In all, nearly 350 Utah runners were registered for Monday's event, according to the Boston Athletic Association website at baa.org. Several Top of Utah residents participated in the race or were near the blast site and reported their experiences to the Standard- Examiner. All who were contacted reported being OK and grateful not to be hurt. "As grateful as I am that my daughter is safe and was not nearby when the bombs went off, I am deeply shocked and saddened by this tragedy," said Herbert in a prepared statement. "This hits home, not only because my daughter was there, but also because many other Utahns participated in the race." Herbert said he and his daughter were turning their thoughts and prayers to the families of those who lost their lives and to the many who were injured. Herbert also was reassuring Utahns about their security at home. "My Homeland Security adviser, Col. Keith Squires, has been in contact with the FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C.," he said. "There is no indication at this time that any -other areas of the country have been affected. We will continue to monitor the situation and work hard to ensure the safety of Utah and the United States of America." Among those in the Top of Utah who were in Boston on Monday were: ELISE AMENDOLA/The Assoi One of the blast sites on Boylston Street near the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon is investigated by two people in protective suits in the wake of two blasts in Boston on Monday. More images at www.standard.net MARRIOTT-SLATERVILLE Crowton, Nathan D., 42 Nathan Crowton, Marriott-Slaterville A wheelchair athlete, Crowton had finished the race early as athletes with disabilities start the event about an hour ahead of the other athletes. Crowton, 42, said he had finished about an hour before the blasts occurred, toward the back of the pack of the 55 wheelchair athletes. He said it was the first time he had participated in the race. "I decided to get out there and enjoy it," he said. Crowton believes he finished in 3 hours and 39 minutes, but he wasn't positive, because keeping track of his time wasn't his top priority, and he said the time on the clock means something different for wheelchair athletes than it does for runners. The blasts did not upset Crowton, as he didn't know what they were at first. He was getting a massage a few blocks away. But they did upset Crowton's mother, Linda Crowton, of Washington Terrace. "It's like your heart jerks at the very bottom of your stomach until you hear something," Linda Crowton said. The mother said she was very worried, because her son normally likes to return to the start of a race after finishing to cheer on others — including wheelchair athletes and food runners — as they cross. On Monday, the mother was upset that her son had traveled to Boston alone. "We tried to talk him into waiting and going next year," she said. Crowton has raced in his wheelchair for 20 years in events throughout Utah as well as such places as New York, Hawaii and San Diego.