Runner couple Mikel Hermosada and Jesanine Bandang just redefined race-day goals at the Cebu Marathon, and it’s not about who crossed the 24-kilometer mark first.
The couple stole the spotlight when Mikel made the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) the stage for his grand proposal to Jesanine.
In a Facebook post, CCLEX related how fellow runner Clinton Cabañero played the perfect accomplice, orchestrating a pit stop for a “photo session” by photographer John Velez. Little did Jesanine know that what would come next would change her life, unfolding like a marathon rom-com.
“Clinton was trying to set the stage for what would happen next, instructing the couple where to face. But Jesanine told him to wait. And after getting their initial photos taken by John, Clinton again gave them instructions on their pose,” recounted CCLEX.
“Mikel then told Jesanine to face the sea, and after she turned, went on his knee and held a box containing their engagement ring. Jesanine said ‘yes’ to the cheers of runners, who witnessed the proposal,” it furthered.
The newly-engaged couple, then, shared a sweet embrace and a kiss, before continuing the run.
Jesanine and Mikel became a couple back in July 2020, just a few months after they were introduced by a common friend in March 2020.
Mikel, 27, handles administration and finance in his family’s accounting firm Hermosada & Co., while Jesanine, 30, recently resigned from a BPO company.
