Man Who Lost Father In 9/11 Was On Course During Marathon Bombings

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) -- Peter Guza was a college kid when the World Trade Center was attacked.

His father, Phil, worked on the 107th floor of Tower 2.

Co-workers who survived would tell his family Phil kept working and did not evacuate after the first tower was hit.

"And that was all part of his work ethic," said Guza from his North Andover home Wednesday. "There was no surprise that he would stay at work."

Over the years since he lost his father, Peter finished school, got married and now has a 3-year-old son named Owen.

"Just yesterday there were pictures of my dad that I had out and my son said 'who's that'?" says Guza. "And it's like this is painful that he has no idea who this is, he's never going to know who he is."

When Peter ran the Boston Marathon this year as an unregistered runner, he had no idea the same agony his family suffered on 9/11, would be felt once again.

"The phone challenges were deja vu, trying to get a call through, being confused about what happened, trying to get some level of confidence about who is OK, who's not OK, how significant is it," recalls Guza.

Family members in Massachusetts and out-of-state had no idea where he was.

"I think everyone was just thinking this can't be happening to us again, this is no way, it's not possible," says Guza.

Guza says he will be at the starting line once again next year, thinking about everything from his dad to 9/11 to the marathon victims, knowing they are all part of a similar family that has suffered so much fear and pain.

"These are harsh lessons that I wouldn't wish on anybody," says Guza.

The Guza family spent Wednesday morning at a 9/11 memorial service in Boston.

The family has a scholarship it awards in honor of Phil Guza.

To learn more about the scholarship, visit philguzamemorial.org