Marathon proves engaging event for long-time couple

Seaford Russell Jr. | Cayman Compass | 5 December 2023

Madelin Mora came away from the Walkers Cayman Islands Marathon with a medal and a diamond ring after her partner of 36 years, Gerardo Dominguez, got down on one knee to propose.

The heartwarming scene, and a clearly emotional moment for the couple, was met with cheers from delighted onlookers at the finish line.

“[I did it because of] the love that I have for her,” Dominguez told the Compass seconds after he and his now fiancée received dozens of congratulations from marathon participants and supporters.

Dominguez said that while there had been no ring in the picture before, the love the two shared was undeniable, noting that he and Mora will be together “for infinity and beyond”.

Though the couple both took part in the half-marathon, that was not the original plan.

Only Mora was slated to participate, having been training for the event over the last several months. However, she fell ill with pneumonia just over a week before the race and her doctor recommended she drop out.

Not wanting Mora’s hours of dedicated training to be in vain, Dominquez told her to walk the race instead and he would run for her, despite his truncated preparation for the 13.1-mile event.

Ultimately, he finished ahead of her, which went according to plan, as he then patiently waited on his bride to-be to cross the finish line before he got down on one knee and asked her to be his wife.

“I didn’t expect it,” Mora told the Compass. “I am very, very, very happy. We’ve been together for so long, I really didn’t expect this,” she said, noting her pride in her family. One of her daughters on hand for the proposal helped translate for her Spanish-speaking parents, who live in Cayman.

“I’m just very happy and excited because I completed the marathon and because of the proposal.”