Aww! South Dakota Couple Gets Engaged After Half Marathon

A Sioux Falls couple is celebrating much more than completing a half-marathon race.

As part of the Sioux Falls Marathon activities, runners Austin Gaspar and Ashley Gibson finished the half-marathon race after battling the heat and humidity. Not only did Ashley get a medal, but she also got THE ring!

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Our friends at Dakota News Now are reporting Austin Gaspar shocked Ashley Gibson by popping the question as soon as they finished the half-marathon race. Their family and friends surrounded them to capture the big half-marathon finish and the epic proposal!

Was Austin thinking about the heat and humidity during the race? Nope! He was already celebrating the start of a new chapter in their lives.

"By May, I had kind of pieced things together, but truly in the last probably month, month and a half did it become a solid plan. I was focused on the proposal the entire race, so my mind was elsewhere. I was kind of in autopilot until the end of the race."

The video posted by Dakota News Now melts my heart! You can tell that Ashley Gibson was surprised by this grand proposal!

The newly engaged couple tells Dakota News Now that they are so grateful their family and friends were with them during the race and for the surprise proposal.

Congratulations to the happy couple! May you run many more miles together! And another congratulations to all the runners who participated in the races with the Sioux Falls Marathon!

Sioux Falls: Then and Now

The City of Sioux Falls has changed dramatically over the past several years. Some of the streets, landscapes, and neighborhoods look vastly different than just 10-15 years ago.

Here's a look at Sioux Falls, then-and-now. See if you can recognize some of these old buildings, businesses, and city streets.

Gallery Credit: Andy Gott