Mystery London Marathon couple saying 'I do' revealed
- Published
The London Marathon runners whose engagement was captured on film during the race have been revealed thanks to the power of the internet.
Adam Ruddick and Rachel Newell didn't expect their romantic moment to be caught on camera, but blogger Ashley Fryer was in the crowd and watched the proposal unfold.
Within hours, Ashley's tweet of the pictures had gone viral with more than 5,000 retweets.
After running 26.2 miles Adam popped the question
Adam says he had no idea his planned proposal was being photographed.
"We both received an influx of tweets and Facebook messages from friends and strangers all making us aware of Ashley's pictures. It was amazing.
"We couldn't believe the attention. It is lovely to see the amount of people who have wished us luck."
"I was just in the right place at the right time! It was a beautiful thing to witness," Ashley says.
"I'm just glad I got my phone out in time. The fact that we managed to track them down within a couple of hours is a testament to the magic of Twitter.
"Huge congratulations Adam and Rachel!"
He got down on bended knee
Bride-to-be Rachel says: "I had no idea he was going to propose. It was a complete surprise.
"We passed the finish line together holding hands and as we went to hug he got down on bended knee and asked me to marry him. I was shocked.
"I started kissing him and then he asked me if that was a yes?
"Of course I replied yes. I noticed one person taking a photo but didn't think anything of it."
The London couple. who have known each other for 14 years and have been together for nearly three-and-a-half years, were running the marathon in memory of Rachel's mum,, external who died of breast cancer.
Adam says the couple have been through a trying time working, renovating a house and training for the marathon.
"From the moment we found out we were in the London Marathon, I had it in the back of my mind that it would be the perfect opportunity to propose.
"While training together it became obvious that this was very symbolic of a journey and that once we reached the end of that journey I thought why not start another amazing one that will last forever.
"Thanks to Ashley, we will always have this memory. She didn't need to reach out to people to try and find us, but we're glad she did as it's lovely to be able to show this to our family and friends."