MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — More than 600 Minnesota marathoners will line up for the start of the Boston Marathon this year, including 212 who ran last year and say they're going back to finish what they started.

Of the 212 are among the 5,600 or so who were unable to finish after Boston police barricaded the finish area. All of those runners were invited back this year without having to qualify.

Jim Driscoll of Medina had finished his 26th straight Boston Marathon last year before two bombs went off, killing three and injuring 260. He says the running community is uniting this year in defiance of what happened and in tribute to the victims.

Jennifer Flavin of Minnetonka is running her first Boston Marathon. She says the resilience she witnessed last year deepened her desire to participate.

More From AM 1240 WJON