For runners James Whelan and Angela Burgess, “happily ever after” started on a half marathon finish line.
Last weekend, the couple ran the Gasparilla Distance Classic Half Marathon in Tampa, Florida, and walked away with more than just a commemorative medal and sore muscles. As the two crossed the finish line together, Whelan got down on one knee and asked Burgess to marry him. She said yes—and other half-marathoners gathered around to watch and applaud the Minessotian couple’s sweaty love story.
Of course, it’s no easy feat to carry a few gels, much less an engagement ring, for the half-marathon distance. Whelan told ABC 5 that he placed the diamond in his fanny pack and guarded it “with his life.” Fortunately, he didn’t drop or lose the ring as the miles rolled on.
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Burgess, meanwhile, said that while she hadn’t planned to be sweaty and makeup-free for her engagement, it ended up being “perfect.” “I was just in shock and so happy,” she said.
The Tampa half won’t be the last distance the couple tackles together. They’re planning an extended run down the aisle in the form of the Twin Cities Marathon before they officially say “I do” in October.
“In the very next week, god willing, we’ll get married, and the next week after that will be our birthdays—so it will be a very eventful time,” said Whelan.
Whelan and Burgess are now officially members of the race proposal club with folks like Calrisa Alayeto and Mariely Del Valle (who got engaged 20 miles into the 2019 NYC marathon) and many other runners worldwide.
Still, not everyone longs to be proposed to while high on endorphins or trying to focus on a PR. So it pays to know your audience (you’re going to spend your whole life running with them, after all).
Kells McPhillips is a health and wellness journalist living in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in Runner's World, The New York Times, Well+Good, Fortune, Shape, and others.
