Many women dream about the day their partner gets down on one knee and pops the question.
Kaitlyn Curran always wondered what that moment would be like for her, but never did she expect her boyfriend Dennis Galvin, to ask her to marry him in the midst of a marathon she was participating in.
After four years of dating, Galvin was convinced that Curran was "the one," and decided to propose while she ran her first-ever marathon in New York City.
Galvin, who was said to be "nervous" leading up to the proposal, dropped down one one knee as Curran neared the 16-mile mark of the New York City Marathon to ask her the big question.
SHE SAID YES: A woman who was running in Sunday's New York City Marathon was at mile 16 when her longtime boyfriend hopped over the barrier and dropped to one knee. She ended the day with a medal around her neck and a ring on her finger. https://t.co/8xbZ6P24RM pic.twitter.com/YizdEJYOhc
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) November 5, 2018
In the now-viral moment, Curran, who appeared visibly surprised, said "yes" before continuing her race.
"She cried a little bit, said yes, hugged him and then said 'OK, I have to go finish my race,'" Galvin's cousin Kathleen Figueroa told CBS News.
While the couple and their families were over the moon, there were some Twitter users who weren't happy about how Galvin went about the proposal.
Many were enraged over the fact that Galvin interrupted his now-fiancee's race and ruined her pace.
He messed up her time so badly.
— My Surname is Khanâ„¢ (@ejaz_k) November 6, 2018
Some questioned why he couldn't wait until Curran got to the finish line.
He couldn't propose to her at the finish line?
— BLOOP! (@susiemcdonnell) November 5, 2018
One Twitter user didn't think the setting was romantic enough, and Galvin could've done it a little bit better if he had waited until the end of the marathon.
If he really loved her, he would've waited until after the race, given her a massage, taken her to a nice dinner, left her alone all night so she could have a nice long rest, woke her up the next morning with homemade waffles and strawberries, then asked her to marry him. Geez.
— Grateful (@canwejustbecool) November 6, 2018
There were others who felt that staging such a public proposal is basically bullying a woman "into yes as crowd watches."
Revised headline:
— Natalie (@girlbossphd) November 6, 2018
BULLIED INTO YES AS CROWD WATCHES: A woman who was running in Sunday's NYC Marathon was interrupted mid-race when her boyfriend broke the crowd barrier to steal her thunder. She ended the day with a medal around her neck and a self-absorbed "partner" for life.
One user asked what would've happened if the scenarios were different and he interrupted a "huge work presentation" instead of a race.
I wonder what dude would've done if he was in the middle of a huge work presentation that he was working on for months and then, midway through, she interrupts with a proposal
— tullymox â„ï¸ (@tullymox) November 6, 2018
A fellow runner revealed that she too was proposed at the NYC Marathon, but her fiance waited until after she finished to ask her to marry him. Had he done it in the middle of the race, she said she would "100% say no."
As someone who was proposed to at the NYC Marathon AFTER I finished, I would 100% say no if it was during. #womenalwaysneedtocomefirst 🤦ðŸ¼"â™€ï¸ pic.twitter.com/4BiMzHvEuG
— Rachel Komyati (@rbraunwell) November 6, 2018
Of course, there were plenty of people who congratulated the happy couple on their engagement, and came to Galvin's defense.
"Maybe he just knew that the time wasn't that a big deal to her," one supporter said, but that was immediately shut down by those who understood the importance of time when running a big race.
Despite the criticism and shaming, Figueroa told CBS that Curran and Galvin are "both very happy," and they all "can't wait for the wedding."
