The weather might have been a bit warm for a marathon, but it was perfect for a wedding.
Tom Young and Pam Kezios, two 31-year-old avid runners from downtown Chicago, can vouch for that. They came to run in the New York City Marathon and to get married.
“These are the two greatest experiences, and we thought it would be very special to combine them,” Young said.
Young and Kezios ran the first eight miles of the 26.2-mile event, then took a break to exchange wedding vows at the steps of the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Their families and friends, many wearing running suits and sneakers, were eagerly waiting, along with reporters, television crews and spectators, for the couple to arrive.
Young’s mother, Carole, held her son’s tuxedo jacket for him and said, “I’m as nervous as can be.”
“Here they come!” a family member yelled as the two runners rounded the corner at approximately 11:45 a.m.
The bride wore a white shirt, tennis skirt and tights, a beaded headband and a veil. The groom wore a white mock turtleneck tuxedo shirt with black buttons and black shorts. He donned a black top hat and tails for the ceremony.
The 12-minute ceremony combined traditional wedding rituals with the couple’s personal touches. The Rev. George A. Robinson III asked the couple “to grow together as friends and tolerate his/her love of running forever.”
The newlyweds exchanged rings, hugged family members and danced briefly. Then Young picked up his bride, carried her back to the course and they resumed running.
The couple came up with their own creative wedding plans four years ago when they were on a ski trip and saw a couple getting married on the slopes. Because they love running, they thought it would be fun to have their wedding during a race.
Although he runs a 2-hour-46-minute marathon and she runs a 3:05, the two elected to run Sunday’s race together. At the 23-mile mark, she threw a mini-bouquet in the air and he pitched the pink garter he was wearing on his sleeve. On her backside, a sign read “Just,” on his “Married.”
The couple finished in 3:41.
“We’ll be back,” Kezios said. “We’ll have our anniversaries here.”
