A Trail Run to Remember

While the first finishers from the XTERRA Oak Mountain Trail Runs received much of the attention, there was quite a story at the back of the race.

Curtis Germany and Ashley Vickery were the last finishers of the race, which was completed on May 20 at Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, Alabama. They finished the 42-kilometer marathon course in 7 hours, 45 minutes, 32 seconds, and they can now cherish every second of it.

After they crossed the finish line together, Germany dropped to one knee and asked Vickery for her hand in marriage. They have been dating for the past four years, and this was their first marathon together.

"We were actually going to take a trip to San Francisco to run in another marathon last year and that's when I first started thinking about doing something like this," Germany said. "But she got hurt and so that fell through. When we heard about this marathon, we decided we would run it together, and that's when I knew I could (propose)."

Germany and Vickery reside in Chickasaw, Alabama, which is about a three-hour drive from Pelham. Vickery's parents were there to witness the couple finish the race - and the proposal.

"I sort of had an idea he was planning something," Vickery said. "But I was still very surprised he did it right there at the finish."

The only problem was their pace during the race. Vickery's knees started to hurt early in the race, so they ended up walking the trails for the second half of the course.

"We were hoping to finish earlier, but once her knees started bothering her, we just wanted to finish, so we walked it," Germany said.

And now, they have quite the story to tell at their wedding. "After going through that, everything else shouldn't be too much work," Vickery said.

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