A man running the London Marathon stopped only 800 meters from the finish line and dropped to one knee to propose to his girlfriend.

Ben McCreadie, 28, of Newport, Wales, was running the 42-kilometer race Sunday and stopped just short of the finish line to kneel in front of his girlfriend, Laura Rendell, 30, who was in the crowd to cheer for him, and ask her to marry him, The Sun reported Thursday.

Rendell quickly agreed and McCreadie slipped a ring on her finger and got up to finish his run.

"I couldn't think of a better way to do it. She didn't have a clue," McCreadie said. "I brought a bum bag to keep the ring in as I ran -- I then held it out and went down on one knee."

Rendell said the proposal came as a surprise.

"I was really shocked. I didn't know what to do, but I was really, really happy," she said. "I said yes, he put the ring on my finger, gave me a kiss and then he just ran off -- he had to go as he had to finish the race.

"I thought if it ever did happen it would be in a restaurant, or if we were on our own somewhere, but not at one of the biggest events of the year," Rendell said. (UPI)