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'Prom?' Ohio teen spells out sweet promposal using app to map 5.5-mile run

They're both runners, so when an Ohio teen asked his new girlfriend to the prom, he ran 5.5 miles to spell out a promposal on an app.
/ Source: TODAY Contributor

They met while running high school cross country together and went for a run on their first date. So when Joran Fuller decided to invite Claire Short to the prom, he devised a sweet, creative promposal inspired by their shared love of running.

Joran, a 17-year-old junior, asked Claire to pull up the activity-tracking Strava app on her phone. There she saw that for his latest run, titled “Hey Claire,” he had mapped out and completed a 5.5-mile route through the streets of Findlay, Ohio, that spelled “Prom?” on the app that uses GPS data.

Prom? Joran Fuller's creative promposal to Claire Short.
Prom? Joran Fuller's creative promposal to Claire Short.Courtesy of Claire Short

“Each promposal is thoughtful in its own way, but Joran’s was definitely very special to me,” Claire, a 16-year-old sophomore, told TODAY. “I was ecstatic.”

Joran had told her he was coming up with a way to ask her that would take time to pull off.

“We’re both runners and we both had the app and it just popped into my head,” said Joran, who ran the prom route on March 9 and asked Claire the next day, hiding a bouquet behind his back.

“I was sick that day so he came over to bring me food because he’s a really nice guy and he also came unexpectedly with flowers,” Claire said. “He told me to check the app.”

What's your prom date done for you lately? Joran Fuller and Claire Short after he revealed his creative promposal.
What's your prom date done for you lately? Joran Fuller and Claire Short after he revealed his creative promposal.Courtesy of Claire Short

“I realized it spelled out ‘prom’ and I was really surprised, and it finally all made sense,” Claire added. “I said ‘yes’ and I gave him a hug.”

She posted photos on Twitter, writing: “But did your prom date run 5.5 miles to ask you.” People fell in love with the unique gesture as the post went viral.

Joran, who uses Snapchat but not Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, says his only goal was to create a great promposal for his date. The pair had been dating for just two weeks but met about 18 months earlier during summer cross country workouts.

“I was just hoping that she would like it,” Joran said. “I don’t even have social media, so the whole internet famous thing was never a consideration. I was just hoping she would think it was cool.”

Joran was inspired by Strava art, shapes that runners and cyclists make using the app.

“I had seen some stuff on Strava before with people making designs,” he said. “I had never seen someone spell out words with Strava before. I thought maybe it would be a cool idea.”

Joran used Google Maps to find a neighborhood with enough short streets he could run on to create block letters, and then designed the run using the app’s route planner. He thought of Claire as he ran, and concentrated on sticking to the route.

“I managed to stay on course,” he said. “I thought it looked pretty good.”

While completing the 5.5-mile run plus another 1.5 miles back to his car was not too big a deal for Joran, who has run several half marathons, Claire was impressed by his creativity and effort, especially because of how busy he is.

Joran sings with his school’s show choir, is appearing in the school musical “Grease,” and has a 4.35 GPA thanks to honors and Advanced Placement classes.

“It makes it more special,” Claire said, knowing that he took time out of his schedule just for her.

Neither one realized how much attention the invite would get, but they are pleased by all the comments praising Joran’s promposal as cute and adorable.

Even Strava took note.

Both teens are looking forward to the Findlay High School junior-senior prom on April 29.

“I’m very excited,” Joran said. “I’m hoping that I can find a way to look as good as she will.”

TODAY.com contributor Lisa A. Flam is a news and lifestyles reporter in New York. Follow her on Twitter: @lisaflam