Bill Iffrig, Runner in Iconic Boston Marathon Photo, Didn't See it Until Yesterday

Bill Iffrig, the 78-year-old marathoner who was knocked to the ground by a shock wave from the first Boston Marathon blast, returned home to his Washington home yesterday and was able to view the iconic photograph of himself sprawled on the ground for the first time. Despite scores of television interviews and a mention by President Barack Obama, the veteran runner, who finished the race, hadn’t seen the image which found its way onto the cover of Sports Illustrated.

"“It’s beautiful,” Iffrig says about the photo. “It’s almost like it was staged, it’s so real.”"

Iffrig escaped the blast with only a minor scrape on his knee. He spent much of this week being passed from one media member to the next. He only remembers Anderson Cooper. Totally understandable.

He plans on sitting out the marathon next year, but intends on running again when he’s 80.

And for now?

"Now it’s back to normal life for him, although outside his home there are the American flags and “Welcome Home” balloons left by neighbors. All those messages on his home phone? Erased. Try calling again, media types, if you’re still interested and haven’t gone on to the next trending story. Time for everyday life to resume. “I still mow my own lawn,” says Iffrig, “I’ve got a lot of yard work to do.”"