Man proposes at finish line of marathon

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CLEVELAND, May 21 (UPI) -- A woman who ran half of the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon with her boyfriend said she was shocked when he dropped to a knee across the finish line and proposed.

Allison Ramsey, 30, said she was feeling good about her accomplishment Sunday as she crossed the finish line and her emotions quickly took an upswing when Nolan James Jr., 25, asked her to be his wife, The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reported Monday.

Ramsey accepted.

"I was completely shocked," she said. "I had no idea. I was so excited to have finished the [half-marathon] race in under 2 hours. I was emotional about that. And then this."

James said he planned the proposal weeks in advance and even alerted Ramsey's family.

"I wanted to do something today that we would remember the rest of our lives," he said. "Running brought us together."

James said he was most nervous about having to tote around the engagement ring for 13.1 miles.

"It was so nerve-wracking," he said. "I can't tell you how many times I touched my pocket to make sure it was still there."