Runaway newlyweds in marathon marriage

A successful marriage can require plenty of legwork - 26 miles of legwork for one Northern Ireland couple.

Gillian Cordner and Gary Connolly, two newlyweds from County Antrim, knew they had to do something special on their wedding day.

So after their marriage on Friday morning in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, they decided to the bypass the usual hotel reception, dinner and dancing.

They had a better idea - a full marathon.

The couple, who have run almost 400 marathons between them and first met while running, changed out of their suit and wedding dress into wedding-themed running attire.

They were joined by more than 100 other runners, many of whom also wore tuxedo T-shirts, formal dresses and even suits for the run.

The event included 5km, 10km, half-marathon and full marathon distances so that as many people as possible could take part.

So, when most newlyweds are having their pictures taking or sipping Prosecco, these two were gathered at the start line on a chilly November afternoon.

"It was her idea," said Gary, with a laugh.

Gillian added: "Well. we always knew we wanted to do something around running for our big day. So we both knew we wanted something like this.

"Originally, we thought we'd organise something ourselves but then the East Antrim Marathon Series came in and said we could use one of their events and make it wedding-themed.

"So they took care of the organising, they're a fantastic organisation."

The couple, who are members of local running club Seapark AC, went so far as to design their own medals for the event and encouraged their friends to come along in wedding-friendly clothes.

It was a natural extension for a pair who quickly found a shared passion for marathon running after they started going out in 2012.

"We push each other on," said Gillian.

"Usually running is the only time we argue though!" she adds. "Sometimes one of us is having a harder time than the other, but we encourage and support each other. And the social aspect of the running club is great."

Their love of marathon running went so far that normal 26-mile runs are not enough for the County Antrim pair - they've even tested themselves in some of the toughest endurance races on the planet including the Berlin Wall 100-mile run and the Marathon Des Sables, a six-day stage race across the Sahara.

"To date, that was the toughest one for me," said Gary.

"The heat was unreal, it was tough to walk in, never mind anything else. To be honest, it was just about getting through.

"But travelling together to events like these are a big part of our relationship.

"When you complete them, it's unbelievable - the emotions are hard to explain."

On Friday, on a chilly but sunny afternoon in Carrickfergus and after an intimate, family-only ceremony, the bride and groom took their places at the start line to cheers from their friends and fellow runners.

Following their matrimonial marathon, the pair jet off on honeymoon to Tenerife on Saturday.

But, naturally, the marathons aren't putting their feet up just yet.

"We're running a marathon in Tenerife on Sunday," said Gary.

"But after we get that over, I am relaxing - I swear!"