This Couple Got Married In the Middle of a Marathon
The last six miles of a marathon are never easy, but one couple found a way to change that: They got married on the course just before that brutal final stretch.
Anthony Johnson and James Makokis ran the Vancouver marathon on May 7 and exchanged vows near mile 20 of the big race. They ran the race wearing tuxedo t-shirts, and added real tuxedo jackets for their 30-minute mid-race ceremony.
The unique ceremony took place under a "pop up" teepee, which represented both of their backgrounds - Navajo for Johnson and Saddle Lake Cree for Makokis. Johnson explained to The Cut, "With the help of our family and friends, we were able to create a low cost, eco-friendly pop-up wedding that was elegant, romantic, and exemplary of our Indigenous heritage. Through this simple act, we hope others are inspired to dream outside the box and live their love loud and proud!"
After exchanging "I dos," Johnson and Makokis continued on the course and finished the race as a married couple.
The idea for a marathon wedding struck when they were each training for long-distance races. Johnson, who was training for his first marathon, told Runner's World, "We kind of started seeing marathon training as a metaphor for a relationship in terms of you have to put in the work and you have to have a good attitude," he said. "So we thought it would be a great way to celebrate our union by getting married."
When the two runners crossed the finish line, their new status as a married couple was announced. "It was a really magical way to end the race," Johnson told Runner's World.
It's safe to say these two definitely earned an epic post-race wedding meal.
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