Bill Iffrig, 78-Year-Old Runner Knocked Down In Boston Explosion Photo, Got Up And Finished Race

Do you remember that saying? "When you fall down, you get back up!" Well, Bill surely did when he was knocked down by the bomb blast and then got up and finished the race. Regardless of who is responsible. This elderly person is an inspiration because he finished the race. That in my opinion is awesome. This is also something positive for the terrible tragedy.
Source
Source 2

Inspiration? Instead of trying to help the wounded, uncaring, he goes and tries to win a race? Is that what happened? Seems like a punk to me.

Originally posted by smithjustinb
Inspiration? Instead of trying to help the wounded, uncaring, he goes and tries to win a race? Is that what happened? Seems like a punk to me.

People react in different ways to traumatic events. This guy just 'soldiered' on. You are the punk, for insinuating he's some form of low life. Grow some nuts please.

reply to post by RobbieK


Thanks for your comment. I agree people react differently. In my opinion he just wanted to finish the race and allow professionals to help out. Would you, at his age, attempt to rescue people that would need someone with the strength and medical knowledge to help them.

Wouldn't call him a punk. But have to agree with smithjustinb, that helping the wounded would had been a more admirable action. I wouldn't have expected him to do so. But guess my point is that I don't understand why anyone would highlight this?

It's impressive that he ran a marathon at that age, and I am glad he could get up and finish. But thats about it.

reply to post by Mads1987


I see what you're saying. It's understandable people helping the injured would be more admirable. However, I wanted to share this since I have been reading all the negative news. I wanted to share something good that will influence people.

reply to post by Phoenix267


to smithjustinb

A 78 year old punk trying to "win the race" that had already been "won" approximately three hours earlier! I doubt it very much! Perhaps he was just a little dazed and confused and far from trying to finish and win the race he just wanted to get as far away from the chaos as quickly as he could and who could blame him? I saw an interview with a much younger guy (probably in his twenties) taking part who said that as soon as the second explosion happened he turned and ran in the opposite direction but you expect an almost 80 year old who had just been blown off of his feet by an explosion to run and help when he probably needed help himself! Nice!

All he can think about is winning a race. F___ that guy

Before everyone goes slagging the guy off, how many people have said since the incident that at first they thought it was a celebratory cannon or similar?

The blast and injuries were sustained over the other side of the fence, possibly out of sight of the 78 year old.

I'd give the guy a break. He was out running a whole marathon whilst we were sat on our computers.

Chances are, and yes it's just an assumption, that this guy isn't the type that puts winning a race over helping others in traumatic circumstances. Most 78 year olds and above have seen and done enough in their lifetimes to prove that.

CX.

That's one of the first things I thought when watchng the blast video, why some of the people near the finish line ran off to the other side of the street and didn't finish the race. Bill Iffrig did the right thing, for himself and for his family, in finishing what he came to do. A 78-year-old gentleman finishing in four hours is running at 6 1/2 miles an hour for four hours. Viva la accomplishment!

The 78 year old wanted to finish the race and I'd bet a box of donuts he had no idea just how bad the situation was. A lot of the people didn't realize what had happened when the first bomb went off. People interviewed on TV thought it was some kind of celebration pyrotechnic for the race or that someone had lit off a M80 as a stunt. After the second blast .. folks figured it out. But after just the first one, unless you were wounded, most folks didn't understand what had happened.

reply to post by Gemwolf


If a blast went off near me, and people were injured finishing the dumb race would be the last thing on my mind. He'd get my respect if he'd gone to help, but no. He just wanted to finish the race.

"Bomb? Ain't no body got time for that. I got a race to finish. "

reply to post by smithjustinb


It is very easy to take the moral high ground...from a distance and after the fact!

Good on you but I sincerely hope that you are never placed in that position at that age!

If you look a the woman in yellow in front of him you will see that a plastic cup was blown from her hand and he tries to catch it then falls down.

Personally i cant blame the guy for wanting to finish after running so many miles. The finish line was just right there. Who knows what he did after finishing.

To all the man out for not immediately helping when you know he was probably having a bit of tunnel vision aftrr running that long is just silly and shows bad taste IMHO

Originally posted by smithjustinb
reply to post by Gemwolf

 

If a blast went off near me, and people were injured finishing the dumb race would be the last thing on my mind. He'd get my respect if he'd gone to help, but no. He just wanted to finish the race.

I've seen trained soldiers run the other way or do the wrong thing when experiencing their first bomb blast.

You'd be amazed at how an explosive device can make you react when you're not expecting it. I promise you, they are not fun.

As i said before, who is to say he knew that it was a bomb or that people were so badly injured. That is very much an assumption on your part at the moment.

I'm having more problems with the photographers that were trawling the crowd looking for that special pic. Fox News was just interviewing a photographer who saw this elderly gentlemen do down. The photographer then went on to take pics of the incident and some obviously horrifically injured people.

They asked him if at any point he thought to himself that it wasn't about the photos any more, but about the people. He replied that he just kept professional and did his job.

I personally find that hard to read. I appreciate journalists catch pictures that preserve history on film, but when an elderly person, or kids, or anyone for that matter are lying with limbs missing, you don't take photos.

Just my opinion.

CX.

If I was seventy eight and in good shape, I would have quit running and helped the people. This was not a frail old man, he just ran a marathon.

On the other side of the coin, he may have expended all of his energy reserves and may have just been in the way. I cannot condemn him for his actions either because I do not know what shape he was in at the time.

I can only say what I would do in that case. I am not very competitive so I would not be running in a race to begin with. I have inner confidence, I do not have to reinforce it or prove anything to myself or others. Maybe this guy needed to reinforce his confidence. That is not evil.

Originally posted by rickymouse
If I was seventy eight and in good shape, I would have quit running and helped the people. This was not a frail old man, he just ran a marathon.

I see your point, but to be fair, whilst the blast is obviously large, he's the only one to fall down amongst the runners on camera. He looks like he's not strong enough to support himself. Others near to him were obviously startled but none crumbled like him. Almost like when someone collapsed through shock.

Not saying thats definitely the case, end of the day, i wasn't there. It just looks like he had more trouble with the shock of the blast than the others. That could be weakness through old age or just the fact that he'd run 26 miles. I was blowing out my backside the first time i did one, and i was a very fit 19 year old.

CX.

reply to post by smithjustinb


Look, he just ran 26 miles, he was likely in borderline shock, automatic mode based on just that, even before the explosion. He can see the finish line. He has been trying to get there for 26 damn miles. It's human nature.