Sometimes the best race-day plan is the one sitting quietly in the trunk.
Emma Kessler, 22, had been anxious for weeks ahead of her first half marathon, the Rockin’ Riverfest Half Marathon in St. Charles, Missouri. As race day got closer, she kept looking for a running partner to help with her pace and confidence during the 13-mile event.
She asked her boyfriend, Jason Burns, again and again, but he kept giving the same answer.
“No, I can’t. Sorry.”
Behind the scenes, Jason was planning to run with her.
He told USA Today he wanted to return the support Emma had given him as a competitive powerlifter.
“Ever since we met, she has been to every one of my competitions and supported me no matter how far away they were, or how much they cost,” Jason told USA Today. “I didn’t really think it’s fair if I sit on the side of the course and only see her for 30 seconds during her two-hour (race), so I decided that it didn’t matter how I felt on the day, if she was going to run, I was going to run with her.”
Jason trained in secret for two months before race day. He registered without Emma knowing and, on the drive to the race, secretly packed his running shoes in the car.
“I knew she’d be relieved knowing she didn’t have to run alone because I watched her anxiety about the race increase every week that we got closer to actual race day,” Jason said.
He then told Emma he had something in the trunk.
“What?” Emma said in a video of the moment. “You’re making me nervous. What?”
When she saw the running shoes, she started crying.
“No, you’re lying, are you really doing it?” Emma asked.
Jason also brought a printed copy of an older text message from Emma that said: “I wish you’d run half marathons w/ me.”
“I’ve been running every weekend since the last (race) you ran,” he told her.
“I feel so much better,” Emma said.
Later in the video, the couple is shown running together at 4.6 miles and again at about 9.75 miles. After the race, both were wearing medals.
“How do you feel?” Jason asks.
“Way better now that we’re done,” Emma jokes.
They crossed the finish line together in 2 hours and 29 minutes.
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