Hospital nurse Rodney Mushanganyisi ran a defiant Marathon yesterday—six days after escaping the two bombings when he ran the Boston marathon.

East London Advertiser: Royal London Hospital nurse Rodney Mushanganyisi, passing through Canary Wharf in Sunday's marathonRoyal London Hospital nurse Rodney Mushanganyisi, passing through Canary Wharf in Sunday's marathon (Image: Archant)

He had just crossed the finishing line when the Boston bombers struck on April 15.

But Rodney, a staff nurse at the Royal London in Whitechapel, was determined not to let it put him off in the London Marathon.

“I couldn’t think of any security issues,” he said. “What happened in Boston spurred me on. Just thinking of those innocent victims helped me get my fasted London marathon time.”

South African-born Rodney, 37, a member of east London’s Victoria Park Harriers club, has also run in marathons in Tokyo, Berlin, Paris, Chicago and twice before in London—Boston was his fastest run, at 2hrs 49mins.

“Yesterday’s 30 seconds silence before the London Marathon was a message of defiance,” he added. “It showed that we won’t be defeated, that we are united in our solidarity.”

Rodney has completed in nine marathons in just three years, as well as three ‘Comrade’ marathons in his native South Africa which is 56 miles—and plans to run it again in June.