SEE: She said yes, then he kept running! New York Marathon runner proposes to girlfriend at halfway point
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Some runners in this year’s New York Marathon may have fallen to their knees from exhaustion, but one participant from out of town knelt down to ask the question.
Arizona resident Kristopher Glocksien caught his four-year-old girlfriend Wendy Macias cheering him on from the sideline at mile 17 on the Upper East Side when he made a brief stop for propose during the sporting event of November 7.
âI just tried to get him to read my sign, I wasn’t expecting it,â Macias told amNewYork Metro.
Glocksien, a field and maintenance technician, is an experienced athlete and usually competes in triathlons, but Sunday’s competition was his first marathon.
âIt was nice to just have to run,â he said. “I had a little extra energy to ask the question, I guess.”
He wore the ring in his pocket for the first 15 miles or so of the race, from Staten Island to Brooklyn and Queens, before keeping it on his little finger once he knew he was getting closer to Macias and his family watching from First Avenue near East 86th Street.
“It was a big event and, I don’t know, I had a good race and I was like ‘why not’,” he said. âThe whole family was there to see, so it worked out pretty well. “
She said “yes” and within a minute of her brave gesture, he continued his 26.2 mile journey, toward the Bronx. The stunning encounter was filmed by her sister Kristin Malone, and her sister-in-law Alanna soon posted it on social media.
My sister-in-law’s brother ran 17 miles with an engagement ring on his pinky finger so he could surprise his girlfriend with a proposal in the middle of # NYCMarathon2021. Then he left to finish the race! ?? # 55second proposition #romance @ NY1 @ ABC7NY @nowthisnews @AP_Sports @NYTSports @SInow pic.twitter.com/rJxGBiUzFI
– Alanna Malone (@AlannaMalone) November 7, 2021
âAll of a sudden he got down on his knees and took us all by surprise,â Kristin said. “We were all crying and taking videos and stuff.”
The runner was happy to join the celebrated return of the marathon this year, following the event’s cancellation by organizers during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
âIt was kind of a to-do list,â he said. “It was really fun, it’s amazing how many people showed up for it.”
The happy couple arrived from Copper State on Thursday and Macias, who works at the Arizona State Bar, said she had watched her now fiance during numerous races.
âMany hours to watch,â she said. âIt took a marathon for that to happen.
The two lovebirds and their family will party in town with slices and beers before heading west.
“We’re going to end the day here”, so Glocksien. “Probably have pizza and beer.”