On Sunday, Vittorio Vedovelli of Lombardy, Italy, planned the perfect proposal at the finish line of the 2024 Venice Marathon. But one detail he hadn’t accounted for: the state his body would be in after running 42.2 kilometres.
As the 29-year-old finished the race in four hours and 43 minutes, he was greeted by his girlfriend, who was at the finish to present him with his marathon medal. But before she could, Vedovelli dug into his sweaty shorts pocket for a ring, and attempted to drop to one knee. That’s when things took an unexpected turn—his hamstring seized up in a painful cramp, resulting in a viral-worthy proposal video.
Check out the video for yourself—it’s a moment that will be hard to forget.
While some travel to Italy to propose over a €500 dinner by the Mediterranean, Vedovelli took the longer route, complete with marathon cramps. Talk about a proposal story they’ll both be telling for years… or maybe it’s a sign of things to come.
Either way, Vedovelli’s girlfriend, surrounded by friends and family at the finish line, laughed off the mishap and happily said yes to him, cramp or no cramp.
In the elite field, Tilahun Abebe and Abera Birtukan pulled off the Ethiopian sweep of the men’s and women’s titles at the 2024 Venice Marathon. Abebe took the win in 2:09:08, while Birtukan won the the women’s division in 2:32:40. You can view the full results from the race, here.
