Bill Iffring, 78, lies on the ground, knocked down by a blast, as police officers react to a second explosion at the finish line of the Boston Marathon in Boston, Monday, April 15, 2013. (Courtesy of AP)

Two days after a pair of explosions rocked the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring over 150 people, many are still trying to figure out the cause behind this attack.

Despite the tragedy, one SMU faculty member was able to find the silver lining doing something that he loves.

Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Robert Watling and his fiance Kelli Johnston ran in Monday’s Boston Marathon, not just to compete in the race, but to be married afterwards just blocks away from the finish line.

“We are both very passionate about running,” said Watling. “We spend a lot of time running together, it’s an integral part of our relationship.”

In fact, their first date was at the American Heroes 5K in Arlington, Texas, and Watling proposed after they completed the Chicago Marathon last year.

The Chicago Marathon was Johnston’s first full marathon since she ran the Boston Marathon in 2001.

“I had been contemplating popping the question for a few weeks, and then in early September, I made up my mind I was going to do it at the Chicago Marathon to make a happy day even more joyous,” Watling said.

They decided that the ceremony would have a running theme, and they would wed after they completed the Boston Marathon.

At the time of the explosions, Johnston and Watling were separated from each other. Watling had finished the race about 30 minutes before his bride-to-be, but luckily both had finished before the blasts.

“I didn’t hear anything, I was a little farther away, about six or seven blocks away from the finish line,” Watling said.

While Johnston was closer to spot of the attacks, she wasn’t yet aware of what had happened.

“She was about three or four blocks away, she only heard one of the explosions but she wasn’t sure what it was,” Watling said.

Watling said they were not aware of the explosions until they returned back to their hotel, which was about five or six blocks from the finish line, and people were talking about it.

After realizing what had happened, Watling said he and Johnston were unsure about moving forward with their wedding plans.

“At the time we were thinking about postponing, or moving locations,” said Watling. “But after some contemplation we decided to move forward with our plans.”

At 6 p.m., just three hours after the explosions, Watling and Johnston became husband and wife.

They were married amid the chaos, at the Boston Public Garden, just several blocks from the finish line.

“Although it hadn’t been confirmed, we strongly suspected it was terrorist activity and we weren’t going to let them deter us from our plans, because that’s what the terrorists want, to change our way of living, and we decided we weren’t going to let that happen,” Watling said.

When asked if this event would deter them from participating in marathons in the future, Watling said “absolutely not.”

“We are going to run another Boston Marathon. We are certainly going to run a Boston one,” Watling said.

Watling was not the only SMU faculty member participating in the Boston Marathon. English professor Diana Grumbles finished the marathon just minutes before the blast.

President Obama is scheduled to visit Boston this Thursday to speak at a service honoring the victims.