LOWELL - First-time marathoner Nick Laganas ran the full 26.2 miles in Boston last Monday, then turned around and ran to help when the first bomb went off.

Laganas, a Lowell police officer and Army veteran, had crossed the Boston Marathon finish line when he heard the blast. He recognized the sounds and sights of an improvised explosive device - a familiar experience from his deployment to Iraq - and so he set off toward the victims, determined to help.

"I had just gotten a water bottle and took a sip," Laganas said. "My legs were wobbly. You know those nightmares where you're trying to punch, but you can't swing, or you're trying to run, but you can't move your legs? It was like that."

After checking on his parents, who were watching the race, Laganas jumped into the fray to administer first aid.

"Because he turned around and helped the victims, he didn't continue down and get his medal," said Patrick Cook, one of Laganas' marathon supporters. Cook, who ran the last leg of the marathon to help his son, Andrew - who was running his first - and other running buddies tracked down Laganas' medal and presented it to him during a break in a session at the Lowell Police Department Training Center Tuesday afternoon.

Fellow runner Joe Patuto went down to Boston on Friday morning to pick up the medal, but with much of the metropolitan area on lockdown during a manhunt for the suspected bomber, the Boston Athletic Association offices were closed.

Advertisement

He tried again this week, and came back with the medal Laganas' running mates say he earned not only for finishing the race in less than four hours, but for his valor that day.

"His photo has shown up on some of the international news sites," said Cook, Middlesex Community College executive director of public affairs. "He's the guy in black. You can see the back of his head as he's trying to help some folks."

Although Cook called Laganas' actions incredible, Laganas deflected the praise.

"The first responders there, they were so fast and so quick that I didn't even need to do much at all," Laganas said.

"Medics were all over, Boston police were everywhere."

He said the reaction was inspiring to him as a first responder.

"You turned around to see if someone needed a tourniquet, and they're good," he said.

Minutes after receiving his overdue medal, Laganas said he's already got his sights set on the 2014 Marathon.

"I'm going to run it next year, totally," he said. "I probably wouldn't have done it again, but under the circumstances, I definitely am."

Welcome to your discussion forum: Sign in with a Disqus account or your social networking account for your comment to be posted immediately, provided it meets the guidelines. (READ HOW.)
Comments made here are the sole responsibility of the person posting them; these comments do not reflect the opinion of The Sun. So keep it civil.