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Leigh and Nick

Ashland, Ohio

About the bride: Leigh is a 30-year-old college track coach at Ashland University and holds two Division I National Championships in track.

About the groom: Not to be outshone by his fiancee, Nick is a 29-year-old Olympic Marathon Trials qualifying runner who also coaches at Ashland University, his alma mater.

Time together: Five and a half years

Why he’s the one: “I knew he was the one when we made it through a rough time together and emerged a stronger couple.”

Why she’s the one: “She's so interesting and challenging. We have been through so much that it would be impossible for there to be anyone else out there who’s a better fit. I love her.”

The love story of Nick and Leigh is a tale of two runners crazy in love. Both Olympic hopefuls, Ohio-born Nick and Texas-raised Leigh found themselves in the same Olympic Development Program, where training was so intense that dating among athletes was not only looked down upon, but forbidden.

The moment Nick and Leigh met each other, they felt a connection so strong their hearts were racing. Initially skeptical of breaking the rules by dating, Nick and Leigh played it cool. But after realizing their attraction was no longer deniable, the two began to sneak around like a love-struck Romeo and Juliet. Their first date was far from typical: Nick and Leigh found themselves hiding out in the parking lot of a grocery store, a safe haven where they could enjoy a picnic and some wine and get to know each other.

When their relationship became too apparent to deny, Nick and Leigh were promptly kicked out of the program. The lovebirds packed their bags and headed into the real world — broke, lost and scared — but together.

Five years later, Nick found himself hopelessly in love with his best friend, running partner and soul mate. He proposed to Leigh in the least typical of fashions, with significance only the two of them could appreciate... as she finished her workout on a stationary bike.

Now living a simple life together, Nick and Leigh wake up each morning and, for 12 whole miles, simultaneously share their two greatest loves — running and each other.