The bomb mayhem that struck Monday's Boston Marathon comes on the verge of a series of large local races.

And organizers of those events say they plan to review their disaster plans with law enforcement to ensure security remains high.

The 36th running of the Coeur d'Alene Marathon will be held on May 26 in the Riverstone development.

"First and foremost, we want to ensure the participants and spectators are safe," said Charlie Miller, director of the North Idaho Centennial Trail Foundation which operates the marathon as its main fundraiser.

"We'll be meeting with the fire and police departments to review the disaster plans and make sure we have adequate resources available to take care of any issues that come up."

Miller said other major sporting events such as the Olympics have been targeted by terrorists, but the Boston incident was still a shock.

"We tend to get comfortable and feel isolated," he said. "But we can't let fear take over."

Sandpoint's Keith Hertel finished about an hour and a half before the bombs exploded near the finishing line. He was a block away waiting to meet up with friends when he heard what he described as a cannon going off.

"At first, I thought that it was a milestone in the race such as the four-hour mark, but then I realized that wasn't right," he said. "When the second one went off - within seconds of each other - I knew it was a bomb. Then I saw some of the runners finishing who were distraught."

Hertel, who stayed at a hotel two blocks from where the bombs went off, said the aftermath was "chilling."

"Buildings were locked down and they were telling people to not go out (on Monday night)," he said. "When we went on a run (on Tuesday morning), it was like a war zone with all the armored vehicles and police with full body armor and automatic weapons.

"But the whole city was really quiet - even during rush hour - and people walked around in a daze trying to figure out how to get to work."

Hertel said it was his first time running the Boston Marathon and he plans to go back next year.

"It doesn't deter me at all from going," he said. "It could happen again, but I'm not going to change what I do because of that."

Spokesmen for the Ironman Triathlon in Coeur d'Alene and the Bloomsday race in Spokane released statements on Tuesday regarding the Boston incident.

"We are committed to the security of our athletes, spectators, volunteers and public at large," Dan Bergland of the World Triathlon Corporation and Ironman wrote. "We take this responsibility seriously and will continue to plan all Ironman events in coordination with public safety agencies."

In a joint statement, Bloomsday's Steven Jones and Don Kardong said they understand there will be concerns at the race in a few weeks.

"Safety at Bloomsday has always been our highest priority, and we will continue to work with the Spokane Police Department, the Spokane County Sheriff and federal agencies to plan for the wide variety of contingencies that might affect Bloomsday as we have for many years," they wrote. "As we review these systems, we will make whatever changes are deemed advisable to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all our participants and spectators."