Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Gov. Maura Healey marked the 13th anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing by joining the families of the victims at a wreath-laying ceremony on Boylston Street on Wednesday.
One Boston Day commemorates the victims, survivors and first responders of the 2013 bombing.
“What has sprung from this over the last 13 years is a tremendous display of resilience and hope and people who’ve overcome,” said Healey. “It’s incredibly inspiring, so it’s filled with a lot of emotions.”
Wu and Healey joined the procession and stood with the families in silence at each memorial site, marked with three stone pillars for each victim.
A moment of silence was planned for Wednesday at 2:49 p.m., marking the time of the first explosion, followed by the tolling of bells at Old South Church.
Three people were killed on April 15, 2013 and more than 260 were injured when two pressure cooker bombs went off at the marathon finish line. Two police officers also died in coming days, one as a result of injuries from the bombing and another in a shootout trying to apprehend the perpetrators.
The 130th Boston Marathon will take place on Monday.
Boston resident Elena Castellini, who is running the Boston Marathon for the first time this year, attended the event.
“I definitely feel so much more attached and involved, and I’ve come to call Boston my home,” said Castellini. “It’s important to acknowledge its history and what it’s been through, but also understand why it’s the way it is today.”
Castellini said she’s running for the One World Strong Foundation, which has a “mission of uniting survivors of trauma, hate, extremism, and terrorism, and fostering a supportive and inclusive community.” The charity was founded by Dave Fortier, who was running the marathon in 2013 when he got injured by the first bomb.
“I think during the race, I want to acknowledge what happened and also hold these people in my mind and my heart while I’m running, because it is also for them,” she said.
Boston resident David Boggs said he was on Boylston Street the day of the bombing. He left one hour before the explosions.
“We were right across the street there one hour before the bombing doing a photo shoot,” he said. “We went back to South Boston to process the photos and when we got back, the bombing was on the television.”
Boggs said it was a traumatic event that had a lasting impact on the city.
“It’s made us more security-conscious, and a lot of people are still scared from it,” he said. “There are events now in Boston where you cannot bring a bag. You can’t bring a bag to the actual marathon in a few days. It’s changed everything, really.”
