Couple to tie the knot after Parkrun proposal
New Year's Eve Parkrun. - Credit: Archant
When Parkrunnner Mark Womack dropped to one knee in front of girlfriend Jodie Lee, she could have been forgiven for thinking he was tying the lace of a trainer or dealing with some cramp.
New Year's Eve Parkrun. - Credit: Archant
For Mark chose the finish line of the popular Gorleston run to pop the question to his partner of four months.
Both members of the Great Yarmouth Road Runners, the pair have been running together for two years, having met at same event, so when they completed the New Year’s Eve edition within a second of one another, Mark knew he had chosen the perfect moment.
Mark, 47 of Lowestoft, said: “When we met we were both in other relationships and were having some of the same issues, so over time bonded through running together.
“I helped her train for an ultra-marathon and eventually we ended up together. I always knew I would be proposing at another Parkrun, as that was where we met.”
Mark Womack and Jodie Lee, who got engaged during the Gorleston Parkrun. Picture: Richard Knibb` - Credit: Richard Knibb
The pair have ran around 80 Parkruns together and also completed a 50km run in October. Their times were almost inseparable on New Year’s Eve with Jodie finishing in 25:47 and Mark just a second behind.
He said: “We sometimes run separately but when we go around together I always let her finish just ahead of me.”
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Bride-to-be Jodie, who turns 33 tomorrow, said: “When he climbed onto the wall and dropped to one knee I just turned to the person next to me and said ‘What on Earth is he doing up there? He’s going to fall.
“Then when I realised what he was doing it was such a shock. He’s such a shy man, so for him to have done it in such a big way was a really big deal to me.”
There were cheers from fellow competitors when Jodie gave the answer Mark had been hoping for, as the pair embraced for the first time as an engaged couple.
Jodie added: “Our running friends are like a second family to us, they’re very important people to us, so it was lovely to be proposed to in front of them all.
“We haven’t started to think about planning the wedding yet, but I think I might wear my running trainers under my dress. A running-themed wedding would be amazing.”
