Runners get engaged at El Paso Marathon

Rene Del Toro had been planning his proposal for months.

He was going to get down on one knee after finishing the 5K race at the El Paso Marathon.

“Once I crossed that finish line, and once she crossed that finish line, the nerves seemed to go ahead and fade away,” Del Toro said.

He asked his girlfriend, Fabiola Velasquez, to marry him, moments after she finished the race.

“I came here thinking I was going to run a race and that was going to be the most exciting part of my day,” Velasquez said. “This is a total — really good surprise.”

The couple has been together for two years, and they’ve bonded over running.

“I really wanted to go ahead and capture the moment. I thought to myself this is a great way to go ahead and celebrate our love,” Del Toro said.

Del Toro’s friends and family held up a banner that read: “Love is not a sprint, it’s a marathon” as he proposed.

“It was totally a surprise. It couldn’t have been more perfect,” Velasquez said.

She left Sunday’s race with both a medal, and a new ring.

“We ran our first marathon, but now we’re going to run our full life one.” Del Toro said.

Tune in to ABC-7 at 5 to see the full proposal.