Rebuilding from Tragedy
As we near the tenth anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing, married couple Patrick Downes ’05 and Jessica Kensky reflect on finding joy and meaning in the years after the horrific attack.
Photo: Caitlin Cunningham
QUICK Q&A
William B. Evans
The BC chief of police and a longtime marathoner.
Winter 2023
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You were a Boston police superintendent during the marathon bombing. What are you thinking about as we near the tenth anniversary? The marathon is part of who we are. It felt like they had attacked part of us. Boston came together so well after the tragedy, rallying behind one another and pulling through.
If health allows, will you run the marathon this year? All three of my children are running, and I’m hoping to run with them. This would be my twenty-fourth Boston Marathon, my sixtieth overall, and our first all together.
What’s your favorite part of the route? Coming down Heartbreak Hill has always felt like the turning point, and now that I’m at BC, seeing students in the crowd makes that stretch even more special. That’s a great feeling. 
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