New Zealand runner asks his girlfriend to marry him at the Great North Run after crossing the finish line second… and she says yes
Jake Robertson decided "today was the day" to pop the question as he neared the end of the Newcastle half-marathon
JAKE ROBERTSON might not have won the Great North Run, but he won the hearts of the crowd and Kenyan runner Magdalyn Masai with his finish line proposal.
The New Zealander finished second in the half-marathon after pushing British Olympic hero Mo Farah to his fourth consecutive title.
With a towel wrapped around his shoulders and just a few paces over the line, Robertson got down one knee when his partner approached to congratulate him.
The shocked Kenyan accepted the offer much to the delight of the applauding crowd and the happy couple embraced.
Masai finished fourth in the woman’s elite race earlier in the day.
It was a spontaneous romantic gesture that the 27-year-old thought up on route to his 1 minute 12 seconds showing in the North East race.
Robertson told the media: “In the last mile it just randomly came to my mind that today was the day.”
Love must be flowing in the North as history was made by British scientist Laura Cort and her American partner Christina Richter who said their vows on the finish line.
The County Durham native – who now lives in America – freshened up in a portaloo before tying the knot on the line she crossed earlier in the day after completing the 13.1 mile race in just under three hours.
Richter proposed at last year’s Great North Run and Cort initially thought she was injured.
She said before the race: “When she popped the question I had no idea the ceremony would be at the next year’s Great North Run. No-one else has ever done it before so we are making history.”