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Couple runs the Boston Marathon in wedding attire
“The marathon has always been a very strong part of our relationship.”
The Boston Marathon is known for its sea of colorful racing gear — but one couple still managed to stand out.
Wearing a short wedding dress, veil, and white running shoes, 37-year-old Paulina Santoyo crossed the finish line for the fifth time Monday, turning the race into a celebration of her recent marriage. By her side on the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton was her husband, Ryan Foreman, 35, wearing a black shirt with white cuffs and an imprinted white bow tie.
Santoyo, originally from Mexico and now living in Chicago with Foreman, said the outfits were a nod to how deeply the marathon is woven into their relationship.
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“The marathon has always been a very strong part of our relationship,” she told Boston.com. “Ryan qualified last year for Boston, and it turns out that it was also the year that we were getting married.”
The couple, who met on a dating app, bonded early over Santoyo’s experience running the Boston Marathon, which she had highlighted in her profile. Foreman said that passion immediately stood out.
“I thought it was very attractive and made me excited to talk to her,” he said. “Our lifestyle has kind of revolved around marathons ever since.”
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Though they plan to celebrate their marriage in August, the two were legally married at a courthouse a few months ago.
Foreman had once planned to propose at the finish line during last year’s race but reconsidered, knowing how physically and emotionally taxing the moment can be. Instead, he used that weekend to take another important step — asking for Santoyo’s parents’ blessing.
“It was the perfect opportunity for me to take them out to brunch out in Wellesley Hills,” Foreman said. “Right before we went out to cheer for Paulina, that’s where I asked their permission to marry her.”
Race day this year offered a completely different experience for Santoyo. Typically, she said she runs solo with headphones, not drawing attention to herself. This time, she and Foreman leaned into the spectacle by raising their arms when passing people and encouraging the crowd to cheer.
“I feel like we got a lot more attention than I was expecting,” Santoya said.
Along the course, the couple heard shouts of “Runaway bride!” and “When’s the honeymoon?” and was met with cheers and congratulations, Foreman said.
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At Wellesley College’s famed “Scream Tunnel,” they were met with especially loud reactions, Santoyo said.
Foreman even played along with the theme, jokingly asking men in the crowd to be his “best man,” Santoyo said, laughing.
Friends joined in on the celebration late in the race, meeting the couple near mile 25, where they briefly paused to chug a beer before pushing through the final stretch.
“We stopped for a bachelor party,” Foreman said of the meet-up.
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