The man in one of the most iconic images from the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, Bill Iffrig, has passed away at the age of 89. His death, on 8 January, was reported by the Everett Herald.
Iffrig, then 78, was only feet away from the finish line when the force of the bombs knocked him over in Boston on 15 April 2013. Speaking to Runner’s World after the event, he said: 'As I fell, I thought: London Marathon announces new Good For Age timese.'
In the image, captured by John Tlumacki of the Boston Globe, Iffrig is on the ground in an electric orange singlet as three police officers in fluorescent yellow vests are at his feet, scanning the crowd. Smoke from the explosions hangs in the air.
Iffrig, stunned, then stood up and made his way across the finish line in a time 4:03:47, placing him fourth in his age group. He was one of the final runners to record a time that day – immediately after the bombings, officials halted the race and worked tirelessly to protect thousands of people from the crime scene on Boylston Street.
President Barack Obama, in his address to the nation after the bombings, helped to make Iffrig a household name. Obama said: 'Like Bill Iffrig, 78 years old – the runner in the orange tank top whom we all saw get knocked down by the blast – we may be momentarily knocked off our feet. But we’ll pick ourselves up. We’ll keep going. We will finish the race.'
Boston Marathon 2024: Everything you need to know Sports Illustrated Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Runner’s World that a week after the terrorist attack, an attendant on his flight from Boston gave him a copy of this edition of Sports Illustrated, as well as a complimentary meal and glass of wine. Later, his friend and training partner would tease: 'Hell, Bill, all you did was fall down.'
Iffrig returned to the Boston Marathon two years later in 2015, when he was 80 years old. He finished second in his age group in a time of 4:24:22.
A carpenter and mason from the US state of Washington, Iffrig was a decorated masters runner, according to the Herald, with many age group national championship titles under his belt. In 2009, he was also a finalist for the paper’s Man of the Year in Sports award.
Iffrig’s wife of 69 years, Donna, died in November. He is survived by two children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
The 2024 Boston Marathon will again take place on 15 April, covering – for the 128th time – the famous 26.2-mile route from Hopkinton to Boylston Street.
