CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – The Boston Marathon is less than two weeks away and this year will mark the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attack that injured more than 200 people and killed three.

April 15, 2013, is a day Dr. Tim Deer, a Charleston physician, will never forget. He was one of more than 26,000 people who lined up to race that day.

“About [10 a.m.], the gun fires and we take off to Boston and it was just a normal day. Things were great; it was sunny, weather was nice,” Deer said. “So, it was just a tremendous day, until the end of the race.”

About five hours into the race, tragedy struck.

Deer was a block away from the finish line waiting for his friends to come through when the first bomb went off.

“Originally, we thought maybe a transmitter blew or something like that,” he said. “It didn’t sound that bad, but as I saw people laying down I realized it was more serious than I thought.”

At first, he started walking toward the mayhem to help the injured, but then the second bomb went off.

He said that’s when people started screaming and running away from the area.

“You really felt helpless that day, and of course, all of our loved ones and families were worried about us but our phones wouldn’t work,” Deer said. “It was a time of confusion, and no one knew at that point who did the bombing, so there was a lot of uncertainty if it was safe to be in Boston that night.”

Deer will be running the Boston Marathon again this year on April 17, and as always, he plans to lace up his shoes for those who lost their lives on that tragic day.

“We always remember them and have a moment of silence before the race. It will always be in our minds.”

In honor of the 10th anniversary, there will be remembrance events leading up to this year’s race.