This Couple Got Engaged, Then Ran the Patriot Challenge Together
A half-marathon followed by an 8K is quite the way to celebrate.
Elyse Delph and Shawn Carpenter at the LOVE statue / Photographs courtesy of the couple
Proposal season is well under way, and we have a story that’s close to my heart — about two runners who got engaged the night before doing the Patriot Challenge during the Philadelphia Marathon weekend. (The Patriot Challenge involves running the half-marathon then the 8K on the same day.) I learned about the proposal through Team RunRun, the run coaching group the bride-to-be is a member of (me too!), and jumped at the chance to cover it.
Read more below — and if you have a proposal story you’d like to share, do so here!
The couple: Elyse Delph, 33, and Shawn Carpenter, 41, live in Raleigh, North Carolina. Elyse is originally from Hazlet, New Jersey, while he is from Cherry Hill, and both have family and friends in the Philly area.
How they met: Elyse and Shawn connected through an outdoor fitness camp when they were partnered up for a workout. “She had such a positive attitude and motivated me,” he says of Elyse, who was becoming a trainer and opening her own location. Once it had launched, some of her friends from that camp came to support her, and brought Shawn along too. He continued to attend classes and the more he heard her talk, he recognized the accent. “He asked me if I was from Jersey or Philly because he knew my accent sounded familiar,” says Elyse. That, of course, led to conversations about all their Philly love — local sports, particularly the Eagles, their dislike for the Cowboys, and their passion for Wawa. “No one I know loves Wawa, especially the Gobbler, as much as I do,” she says. One thing led to another, and they began dating in the spring of 2023.
Their run love: The couple developed a passion for running together, completing five half-marathons and the 2024 Chicago Marathon. They finished five of those races hand-in-hand. They also decided to sign up for the Patriot Challenge over the 2024 Philadelphia Marathon weekend.
The proposal plot: Shawn knew he wanted to propose around the Patriot Challenge — in front of the LOVE statue. Before the weekend, he contacted Elyse’s best friend and her three cousins, who drove out to Philly for the night of the proposal on Friday, November 22nd.
The proposal: Elyse and Shawn drove up from Raleigh that day — through rain, sleet, and snow. Elyse thought that was why he was flustered. (Little did she know.) Once they got to Philly, they went to the expo then checked into their hotel to relax. They had dinner plans at Wilder, and Shawn told Elyse he wanted to walk over to the LOVE statue beforehand. (Yes, in the rain.) The couple strolled over and stopped in front of the statue, where two women were taking pictures. Shawn asked if they’d take a picture of them (and explained his plan), and they agreed to join in on the big moment. (Elyse’s friend and cousins were also hiding nearby.) Before the pic, Elyse joked, “What, which side is my good side,” then realized Shawn was on one knee. “No way!” she shouted. He asked her to marry him, and she said yes. It was then that her cousins and friend jumped out and started yelling their congratulations.
The post-proposal plans: Dinner followed with Elyse’s cousins and friend in tow. They celebrated and had a great time before the runners headed to bed. After all, they had a 4 a.m. wake-up time for the double race.
The post-proposal runs: It was cold the morning of the 23rd, so Elyse says she wasn’t sure how it would go. But she ended up getting a four-minute PR in the half-marathon unexpectedly. And then they ran the 8K shortly after — and finished holding hands. “Not only did I get three medals,” she says, “I got the ring and a forever future.”
The wedding plans: While nothing specific is planned yet, they both agree that Wawa will be involved.
One last word: “I never thought I’d find someone that would understand me as much as Shawn does,” says Elyse. “And running is OUR thing — the hobby that healed us and we enjoy it so much together, the sweaty miles, the gels, the tears, and sense of accomplishment.”
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