Angie Greckel wasn't able to finish the White Rock marathon because of a hip injury. But Sunday is a day the 25-year-old from Carrollton will remember for the rest of her life.

That's because Greckel got engaged during the 26.2-mile race.

John Arthur, a 25-year-old from Coppell, ran the marathon with Greckel – the first marathon for both. Arthur had planned to propose at Mile 23.

"I figured it would be a good time," Arthur said. "The last couple of miles of the race it would give her a little motivation."

But when Greckel had to stop at Mile 19 because of her injury, Arthur got down on one knee in the back of a medical vehicle and asked Greckel if she would marry him. Greckel said yes.

"I was surprised and shocked he was [proposing] right there in this medical van," Greckel said. "But I was really excited."

Although Greckel wasn't able to finish, she told Arthur to go ahead and complete the marathon. He finished in 4 hours, 57 minutes, 31 seconds.

Greg Riddle

NASA astronauts Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger and Jeff Williams took time away from the shuttle launch preparations to run the marathon.

Metcalf-Lindenburger finished the full marathon in 3:49:10. She's now run 16 marathons, including the 2004 Boston Marathon.

Williams, who recently spent six months at the International Space Station, completed the half marathon in 1:38:33.

"We want to show the importance of exercise here on Earth," Metcalf-Lindenburger said. "It's a necessity in space."

Debbie Fetterman

Craig Miller of "The Ticket" KTCK-AM (1310) completed his first marathon in 3:29:06.

Miller, an avid cyclist, said a 100-mile bike race is more stressful on the heart than a marathon because of the fluxuations in speed. He described his first marathon experience as, "a steady grind," and "a skeletal stress."

Miller, 41, said his goal was to finish in 3:20 but he was satisfied to finish under 3:30.

Miller said he probably would run another marathon soon.

Cameron Maun

Sunday's White Rock was the 51st marathon that 51-year-old Rick Roeber has run. It was the 33rd consecutive marathon that Roeber has run barefoot.

"I was hoping for a little more rain," he said. "I like to play in the puddles."

Roeber, who attended Arlington Sam Houston High School and now lives in Lee's Summit, Mo., finished in 3:49:08. But he was more concerned about a cause than his time.

Roeber was running to help raise funds and awareness for Free Wheelchair Mission, a nonprofit organization that provides wheelchairs for people in Third World countries.

Greg Riddle

When Richard Liverett started running in January 2004, he weighed 245 pounds. On his first run, he did three miles in 48 minutes – "and barely made it," he said.

The 46-year-old Rowlett resident now runs about 45 miles a week, and he has lost 75 pounds. Last month, Liverett ran the Dallas Running Club's half marathon in 1:46. Sunday at White Rock, he ran his first marathon in 3:44:26.

"My goal was to just be healthier. I thought if I can do a marathon, I'm bound to be thinner and healthier," said Liverett, who works as an accountant for Uncle Julio's.

Greg Riddle

Having turned 50, Joan Benoit Samuelson is finally ready to retire from competitive running. But first, there's one bit of unfinished business.

Benoit Samuelson, who won the first Olympic women's marathon gold medal in 1984, will run her last competitive marathon at the Boston Marathon in April, which this year doubles as the U.S. Olympic Trials. Her training brought her to Dallas, where she ran 1:22 in the half marathon.

She qualified for the trials with a 2:46:27 at last year's Twin Cities Marathon, and her goal is to finish her career with a 2:50 or better at Boston, where she ran her first official marathon in 1979.

"Sub-2:50 would be nice, but I'd take a 2:50-anything at this point," Benoit said.

Andy Friedlander

Dr. Bob Fowler, the longtime White Rock Marathon medical director, found himself scrambling Sunday. He also serves as a Dallas Cowboys team doctor.

Fowler, who left for Detroit early Sunday morning, had everything covered for the race, but still called every opportunity he had.

"Unfortunately, he can't schedule the Cowboys bye week during the White Rock Marathon," said Bill Borowski, who coordinated the efforts for Baylor SportsCare.

Debbie Fetterman

Before she learned at the age of 56 that she had breast cancer, Bernadette Schulz had "never done a race before." But in an attempt to get healthy and help fight breast cancer, Schulz started running and walking.

At the age of 57, Schulz did her first marathon. Three times, the Richardson resident has done the Dallas/Fort Worth Breast Cancer 3-Day, a 60-mile walk over three days that benefits the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (her team raised $80,000 this year).

And Sunday at the age of 63, Schulz did her fifth marathon, walking White Rock in 6 hours, 19 minutes, 49 seconds.

Schulz's cancer is in remission. And she has found another way to help others. She coaches marathoners who walk the 26.2-mile event.

Greg Riddle

WFAA-TV's George Riba completed his 20th marathon – including his 17th White Rock – in 3:41:58.

Riba and his wife, Maggie, who ran the half marathon, will run the Boston Marathon in April.

Riba, 58, said he actually enjoyed the cold, wet weather.

"The sprinkling cools you off," he said. "I took my cap off because it was warm."

Cameron Maun

Rod McLain started running in June. Sunday, the 46-year-old Denton resident ran the White Rock half marathon, completing his first 13.1-mile race in 3:30:29.

"I never thought I could do it, even when I signed up for the training," McLain said. "Now I have. That's really cool."

More impressive is what McLain has done in his battle with diabetes. McLain said that before he started running, he thought he would have to take cholesterol and diabetes medication for the rest of his life. But now?

"No cholesterol medication, and now I'm taking half the diabetes medicine ... I was kind of shocked," he said. "I can feel the progress."

Greg Riddle

Richardson's Trey Moore and his wife, Vicki Redpath, ran the White Rock marathon, but they couldn't have done it without some help.

The couple had a sitter stay at their house on Saturday nights and watch their three children so they could do their long runs on Sunday mornings as they trained for White Rock.

With their children and baby sitter cheering them on, the 38-year-old Redpath ran her first marathon in 3:52:13, and the 39-year-old Moore finished his fourth marathon in 4:30:23.

Greg Riddle

On race day last year, the marathon's activegiving.com Web site had amassed $47,000 worth of runner contributions to the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.

This year, the hospital created Patient Champions, which personalized the efforts.

The online donation program had tallied $97,000 Saturday night. Officials expected additional funds to be raised this week.

Debbie Fetterman

Roger Foster, the race's entertainment guru, created incentives to ensure his musicians would perform in less than ideal weather conditions.

Every band member got a gift certificate to Guitar Center and a T-shirt with the word "Entertainment" on the sleeve. Each band also got a banner with its name, a case of beer and, for the first time, stages upon which to perform.

Debbie Fetterman

Marie Lassiter, of Carrollton, is a purchasing manager at Addison-based Authentix, a security-solutions company.

Lassiter encouraged 37 of the approximately 50 employees at Authentix to partake in the marathon relays. Authentix 1 finished in a company-best 3:42:04.

"I always try to get people to run," Lassiter said. "When I started at Authentix a couple of years ago, there were three teams. Now we're up to eight."

Cameron Maun

Nichola Kouzes, 16, of Grapevine sang the national anthem before the start of the marathon.

Kouzes, a patient whose right arm and hand are not fully developed, has sung at the White House and was one of 50 finalists out of 17,000 who auditioned for American Idol in Atlanta.

"Scottish Rite has done so much for me," she said. "I don't know how I'd ever repay them. They help people with road blocks shoot for their dreams."

Debbie Fetterman