The two of them have been together since college and he always knew he wanted to get married to her!
Kendra Molyet started off her morning on September 25, 2021, by participating in a half marathon. She was excited to complete the 13.1 miles and get to the finish line, but little did she know that a surprise awaited her there. In fact, she had no idea her boyfriend, Matt Smartnick, was about to propose to her!
According to PEOPLE, what Molyet saw when she crossed the finish line was Smartnick, with the help of his friends, holding up signs reading, "Kendra Molyet Will You Marry Me?"
“Coming up there was a huge hill and it was super-tiring, then I saw my name in letters. It was like, 'Marry me.' That was crazy," Molyet told TMJ4. She was surprised and taken aback by the question, but she made sure to clock in her time before saying yes to Smartnick, and taking the ring he was holding, and slipping it onto her finger.
It came as a huge relief to Smartnick because he was just so anxious. His heart was beating as fast as Molyet's even though he didn't run the marathon. Also, he'd only slept for about an hour the night before.
Nothing like being asked “Will you marry me” after completing one of the hardest races of your life. A lot of excitement here at the @AkronMarathon ! @WEWS pic.twitter.com/4AXZr0YETj
— Nadeen Abusada (@NadeenAbusada) September 25, 2021
The couple from Brooklyn, Ohio, have been dating for four years after they first met as students at the University of Akron, reports Akron Beacon Journal. He was finishing law school and she was completing her undergraduate degree at the time. Since then, he always knew how he would ask Molyet to marry him, but was "waiting for the right time.
Bearing witness to the proposal were Molyet's parents and Smartnick's mother. While Molyet's dad gave Smartnick his blessings, her mom teased her future son-in-law about doing the proposal at the half marathon. "I told him, 'She's probably going to be a sweaty mess,'" she joked.
Though he had to get special permission to pop the question, since it was a public event, Smartnick was sure this was what he wanted to do. “[We] had to make a lot of phone calls,” she said. “[He] had to get special permission to do this.”
Smartnick's original plan was to propose to her in a restaurant, during dinner, but this is so much better than that! “I wanted to do something memorable,” he said. “I know she will have that adrenaline going through her and that sense of accomplishment when she finishes.”
References:
https://people.com/human-interest/woman-finishes-half-marathon-gets-surprise-proposal-from-boyfriend/
Cover Image Source: YouTube | ABC5
