Jake Robertson proposes to his girlfriend Magdalyne Masai (Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 10 – The Great North Run is always full of wonderful moments, but elite men’s runner Jake Robertson appears to have grabbed the headlines this year, despite settling second in the race when he won the heart of his Kenyan girlfriend Magdalyne Masai by proposing on the finish line.
That’s because the New Zealand star, who pushed winner and Olympic great Mo Farah all the way, popped the question to his partner after the race.
Jake waited for partner Masai, who is the younger sister to 2009 Berlin 10,000m World Champion Linet Masai, after the Kenyan finished fourth in the women’s elite race, before getting down on one knee.
But she was left in shock after Jake suddenly got down on one knee and asked her to marry him.
Robertson and Masai embrace at the finish line (Image: PA)
The crowd erupted into cheers and applause as Magdalyne accepted and the happy couple embraced.
Jake told the media: “In the last mile it just randomly came to my mind that today was the day.”
Robertson, 27, moved to Iten, Kenya with his twin brother and fellow professional runner Zane Robertson when he was 17 years.
He competed in the 5000m at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, where he finished 14th in the second heat in a time of 14:09.55 and did not qualify for the final.
At the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow he finished ninth in the 5000m and seventh in the 10,000m.
Video of @Jakehtbz proposing to his girlfriend Magdalyne Masai at the finish line of the #GreatNorthRun. Congrats you two. ( @Great_Run ) 😍 pic.twitter.com/pmmgPIlmE6
— Katami Michelle (@MichKatami) September 10, 2017
Love will also be in the air for scientist Laura Cort and her American sweetheart Christina Richter, who will get married on the finish line.
Laura, 44, will be surrounded by loved ones as she says ‘I do’ to her partner, who works as a US charity campaigner.
The couple will make history as they take their vows at the end of the course in South Shields.
Laura, originally from Peterlee, County Durham, but now living in Delaware, America, will freshen up in a ‘delux’ Portaloo in South Shields before walking down the aisle.
Geneticist Laura said before the race: “When she popped the question I had no idea the ceremony would be at the next year’s Great North Run. No-one has ever done it before so we are making history.
