A romantic runner had more than one reason to celebrate crossing the finish line at the Edinburgh Marathon after he proposed to his girlfriend.
Ryan Mitchell, from Bathgate, completed the run before producing a ring that he had been carrying the whole time and popping down on one knee to ask girlfriend Cheryl Nicholson to marry him.
And after she said yes they shared a hug and a kiss at the finish line.
Despite planning the proposal for several months, Ryan admitted it was a nerve-wracking run.
He said: “I was terrified to be honest.
“I had the ring in a
bumbag along with my phone and energy gels for the whole way and I kept worrying that it was going to fall off.
“I had to constantly check it along the way as well.
“I’d also written ‘Cheryl will you marry me?’ on cardboard that I had under my race number and it was pouring with rain at the start so I thought everything was going to go wrong and she wouldn’t be able to read the sign.
“Thankfully it was perfect. It was definitely a special memory.”
Cheryl added: “I never expected it at all. I was surprised but delighted when he proposed. It was really a huge shock but I’m so happy.
“He was panicking before we got the train to go to the race because he’d lost the bottom pin for his race number and I couldn’t understand why he was that bothered by it - but now I know he was hiding the message.”
Ryan ran the marathon to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of his mother. He crossed the finish line in three hours and 50 minutes.
And he said he thought it was the perfect way to pop the question.
He said: “I’ve done a few half marathons before for charity but I wanted to do a full marathon.
“Raising funds for Macmillan was the perfect charity because they were brilliant with my mum before she passed away a few years ago.
“I’d be out running in all weather for weeks and Cheryl was supportive and cheering me up whenever it got really challenging, not to mention making sure I was well fed.
“I thought it would be the perfect way to do it and I’m just thankful that everything went to plan and she said yes.”
