When two bombs exploded at last week's Boston Marathon, local attorney J. Jackson Eaton had just completed the race.

For the 70-year-old Hanover Township (Lehigh County) solicitor, it was only his second marathon.

"I am still processing what I experienced," Eaton told The Press three days after the event.

"I ran in New York and when I found out that I qualified for Boston, I wanted to go," he said.

Eaton crossed the finish line before the nearby explosions.

"It seemed like a couple of minutes [between my finish and the explosions], but after I got back to my daughter's house and we could see what happened, it was actually around 10 minutes," he said.

According to Eaton, the finish line area is quite organized. As runners cross the line, medical personnel scan the runners, and direct them toward Copley Square a couple of blocks away to meet with family and friends.

"You get something to drink, a banana and your badge," he said.

His family was not waiting for him at the finish line.

"The subway was a little slow getting there, so they were delayed," he said.

Three spectators were killed and more than 180 injured in the explosions. A police officer was killed later during the manhunt for the two suspects, who are brothers. One was killed in a police shootout and the other is now hospitalized and in custody.

When a crisis of national importance happens, the people who are at the location often know less than others hundreds of miles away who can watch television updates.

"No one really knew what happened," Eaton said. "Some of the local people said there were utility explosions in the area, but we were hustled out of the race area."

After the blasts, the nearby subway stations were closed. Eaton walked two miles to catch a train back to the suburbs.

"Once we got to the house, we could see what happened and the extent of the damage," he said.

The iconic race begins in Hopkinton and winds its way through the suburbs over a series of hills, the last of which is the equally famous Heartbreak Hill.

In 1936, defending champion John Kelley had passed competitor Ellis "Tarzan" Brown on the last hill and gave him a pat on the shoulder. The gesture inspired Brown to powered past Kelley and go on to win the race.

It was Kelley who first used the term Heartbreak Hill. The hill is not the steepest – the rise is only 88 feet – but it comes late in the race. At the top of the hill, Boston College has an inflatable arch bearing the words "Heartbreak is Over" and a cheering section awaits the runners as they pass by. After that, the Boston skyline comes into view and the course is downhill and flat for the last five miles.

"You get such a euphoric feeling when you make the turn onto Boylston Street," Eaton said. "Flags of the countries flap from flagpoles along the street. People line the course. There is an inflatable arch at the finish line."

The first blast detonated just before the finish line in front of an office building, the second blast occurred in front of a row of restaurants about 100 yards down Boylston Street. Local police reports said that almost three-quarters of the 25,000 runners passed the finish line before the bombs were detonated.

"The day started out so beautifully, a nice clear New England day," Eaton said. "To have it end tragically is unimaginable. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those who were affected by this tragedy."

Newscasters have expressed curiosity about the tragedy's effect on future Boston Marathon events.

"I don't think it is going to change anyone's attitudes about running," Eaton said of next year's marathon. "Runners are a tough bunch."