MIAMI – Thousands of people took part in the annual Miami Marathon and Half Marathon Sunday, but one woman received more than a medal when she crossed the finish line.
Rachael Avisrur ended up with an engagement ring as well! She completed the race and found her boyfriend, Avi Wolf, at the finish line, with a ring and bouquet.
"I'm like the happiest person ever," she said, telling Local 10's Ben Kennedy she didn't even realize her boyfriend was in town. "I thought he was in New York!"
"You only live once," Wolf said when asked why he decided the pop the question at the race. "I just wanted to surprise her with something she loves to do."
Avisrur had been participating in the race to raise money for Chai Lifelines. According to her fundraising profile, the organization's goal "is to bring joy to children and hope to their families, enabling them to live full and happy lives despite the presence of illness."
THE RACE
The winner of Sunday's marathon was Samuel Malakwen, of Kenya. The 35-year-old completed the 26.2 mile run in 2:19:46, a pace of about 5.19 minutes per mile. Malakwen had won the Miami Marathon once before.
The overall female winner had also won the race before. Mariska Kramer, 39, clocked a time of 2:49:27 Sunday. The native of the Netherlands also won the 2013 race.
The overall winner of the Half Marathon was Edward Tabut, 30, of Minnesota. He finished the 13.1 miles in 1:06:45. The female winner in that race was Shannon Miller of New York, N.Y. The 29-year-old finished in 1:21:08.