FOR most people running the London Marathon is excitement enough for one day, but Andrew Greenstock decided he would make it even more memorable.

After crossing the finishing line of his first ever marathon and in front of his whole family, he got down on one knee to propose to his long term girlfriend Kate Forthringham.

He said: “I’d never run a marathon before; the farthest I’d run was 16 miles so after that I was wondering how my body would hold up, but there was no way I could not finish it when I was going to propose at the end.”

Mr Greenstock, 33, from Salisbury, wanted to propose in the old-fashioned way and so had asked his future father-in-law John for his daughter’s hand in marriage and as Mr Forthringham was also taking part in the marathon he waited until he had finished before popping the question.

Also in on the secret was his aunt Karen Singer, who secretly took the engagement ring to London with her, and there to witness the happy occasion were his mother Lynn and Miss Forthringham’s sister Lucy and six-year-old daughter Lola.

The 28-year-old bride-tobe, who works for the NHS, said: “It was fantastic. It was a wonderful moment and completely overwhelming, but in a good way. I didn’t suspect anything.”

And to top off the day, Mr Greenstock, who works for removal firm Armishaws, finished the marathon in four-and-a-half hours and raised more than £1,000 for Action on Addiction, which his father-in-law was also supporting.

The couple, who both grew up in Salisbury and met three years ago through the Green Dragon pub when Mr Forthringham was the landlord and Mr Greenstock played for the pub’s football team, are hoping to tie the knot next summer.