Organizer: Lakewood Native and Boston Marathon Runner Joseph Gray Reportedly OK

UPDATE 5:39 p.m., 4/15/13

My fellow Patch Editor Kendall Watson produced his own update on Joseph Gray - the Lakewood native and Lakes High product - after speaking with store owner in Renton. For the full story, check out Renton Patch. Read on:

Professional long-distance runner Joe Gray, 29, told friends at a local athletics store at The Landing in Renton that he's OK but looking forward to getting back home.

Gray spoke with Trey Bailey on Monday afternoon, a Balanced Athlete sales associate and running trainer, shortly after this afternoon's bomb blasts near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

Bailey had just finished recording an interviewfor UpHillRunning.com with Gray about an hour before the blasts went off.

"(Bailey) called me after he heard" about the blasts, Balanced Athlete store owner Eric Sach said. Gray, a close friend of Sach and regular customer, had already completed the race nearly two hours before the the tragedy occurred that has left at least left two dead and 125 injured, according to various media reports.

Gray, a member of the US Mountain Running Team, finished 17th in the Boston Marathon overall, with a time of 2:18:45. This was his first marathon race after completing the 2013 USA 50K Road Championships in Lloyd's Harbor, NY in March with a time of 2:55:19. Ethiopian runner Lelisa Desisa finished first in the Boston Marathon with a time of 2:10:22.

"He ran his first race and did well," Sach said, adding that the event was not canceled as the most runners had finished by the time the blasts went off.

Here's a short excerpt from the interview about the build-up to the Boston Marathon, which can be found here:

It was crazy. You know, you’re laying there stretching or warming-up and you just hear all these different languages. It kind of puts it into perspective how international this field is. A lot of energy a lot people at the start line. I mean at the start line just people everywhere. People getting your autograph. You know it was real cool. A lot of energy.

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ORIGINAL

An elite runner from the Lakewood-JBLM area who was participating in The Boston Marathon is reportedly OK.

Joseph Gray, a product of Lakes High, was participating in the world's largest race, where a pair of explosions rocked the annual event today. So far, two people have been reported dead and another 23 have been injured.

The race's participants included Gray, one of the country's best runners who is registered as being from Renton.

Patch contacted Roger Michel, an organizer for the Lake Sammamish Half Marathon. He said he's seen reports that Gray is OK. No further information was available.

The race featured hundreds of runners from Washington, including four from Lakewood and one from Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Patch will have more on this story as it becomes available.