He gets a medal, she gets an engagement ring: Gareth's marathon ends with big question
When Gareth Bennett fell to his knees having completed the London Marathon, his girlfriend thought he had collapsed from heat exhaustion.
Instead Gareth, from Dolywern, near Chirk, took an engagement ring from his pocket and asked a shocked Katie Williams to marry him.
The proposal took place in front of a dozen family and friends who had gone to London to support the runner, who completed the marathon to raise funds for the MacMillan Cancer charity.
“The others all know what Gareth was going to do but I didn’t have an inkling,” said Katie, who said yes straight away.
“I was completely oblivious and I’m still a bit shocked. I thought his legs had given way underneath him.”
Gareth decided to propose after the marathon about three months ago.
He said: “Katie’s dad carried the champagne around all day and one of our friends was ready to video the proposal. Everyone knew except Katie. I had to put the ring in a little bag and then tie it inside my pocket.
“Knowing I had to finish to propose to Katie helped to get me round, it was so hot. I also thought, I have seen how strong people can be when fighting cancer and if they can do that then I can put myself through 26.2 miles.”
His fundraising is in honour of his mother, Jan Bennett, from St Martin’s, who has been undergoing chemotherapy for a brain tumour.
“Training has helped me and I hope it has helped take my mum’s mind off the illness a little. She has been busy helping with fundraising.”
The fundraising has now reached about £5,000 and is still rising. Anyone wanting to donate can do so at justgiving.com/fundraising/gareth-bennett14
