Marathon runner John pops question

HE let her catch her breath before popping the question and taking it away again.

Romantic runner John Broderick dropped on one knee after completing the 26.2-mile Bord Gáis Cork City Marathon yesterday and proposed to his long-term girlfriend, Sandra Russell, seconds after she crossed the finish line.

Hundreds of onlookers cheered as a stunned and exhausted Sandra said “yes”.

“He’s the most romantic man in Ireland,” she said, beaming, a few minutes later.

John, 28, from Currow, Killarney in Co Kerry, ran the marathon carrying the engagement ring he bought in America. He crossed the finish line about 20 minutes before his sweetheart.

He downed a few glasses of water and rehearsed the lines he’d been planning since January, as he waited anxiously for Sandra, 30, to appear on the finishing straight on St Patrick’s Street. As she crossed the line of her first marathon, John embraced her, and escorted her back over the line to “pose for some photographs”.

Then, before hundreds of onlookers he dropped to one knee, whipped out the three-diamond engagement and popped the question.

The couple, who built a house together last year, kissed and walked arm-in-arm over to John’s mother, who was watching from behind nearby barriers, where they were congratulated.

“This was Sandra’s first marathon,” said John, who runs with Gneeveguilla AC.

“I’m so proud of her for finishing and I wanted to give her the perfect end to a perfect marathon for both of us. I’m looking forward to running plenty more marathons with my wife-to-be, although Cork city will now always hold a very special place in our hearts.”

Olympic legend Sonia O’Sullivan crossed the line a short time later.

Despite a calf injury forcing her to scrap plans to compete competitively in her first-ever Cork City Marathon, and her first marathon since 2008, she said she was delighted to be part of the event.

“I walked most of it — ran a few hundred yards, then stopped and walked a mile or so, then ran a few hundred yards. But it was inspirational to see so many people out there,” she said.

Sonia has raised several hundred euro for her chosen charity, the Children’s Leukaemia Association based at the Mercy University Hospital, and she urged people to donate more to Team Sonia at www.mycharity.ie.

Almost 8,500 people took part in yesterday’s event — billed as the most inclusive marathon race in the country. It also featured the hugely popular relay event and a half-marathon.

Cork’s city manager, Tim Lucey, completed the full marathon in a little more than three hours. Former Cork senior football manager Billy Morgan took just under five hours.

And 96fm Fat Factor contestant Darragh McGann, who has lost 17lbs in the past three weeks, ran the last mile of the relay event for his team.

“You have to start somewhere. This year it was one mile, next year I’ll aim to do five miles.”

Moldovan Sergiu Ciobanu, of Clonliffe Harriers, who lives in Cahir, Co Tipperary, retained his marathon champion title in 2:25:34, beating the course record he set last year by 20 seconds.

Angela McCann of Clonmel AC was the first woman over the line in a time of 2:53:31, beating last year’s time of 2:54:41 set by Lucy Brennan.

TJ McHugh of Mayo AC won the first half-marathon event in 1:12:51 and Leevale AC athlete Lizzie Lee won the ladies’ half-marathon in 1:19:45.

The first relay team was The River Gold Road Runners in a time of 2:19:57. The five-member team included Alan O’Shea from Bantry, who won the full marathon in 2007.