Local Runners Note Boston Marathon Tragedy with Tribute Run, Shrine

The invitation went out late Monday night on Facebook for a "tribute run" in Griffith Park to honor those who died and were injured near the finish line of the Boston Marathon Monday.

About 80 local runners heeded the call, meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday night at the A Runner's Circle (ARC) store on Los Feliz Boulevard in Atwater Village.

They also brought candles and flowers with them to add to the "mini-shrine" that ARC's Dino Perez had started.

"All these runners came here for one specific reason, they needed this, " Perez said.

"Hosting a shrine like this can give them an outlet to let them express what they wanted to do, feel or say."

Before heading out on a loop across the Los Feliz Bridge up into Griffith Park, the runners gathered around the shrine for a moment of silence. 

After the run, many lingered in the dark, sipping water and taking photos of the shrine.

"Anybody who is a runner felt personally affected by what happened because it's basically everyone's dream to go to Boston one day," said Nicky Muller of Los Feliz, who had several friends running in Boston Monday.

"There's still a very positive force behind running and making yourself healthy. That's what the Boston Marathon stands for. We don't want to let that be ruined."