Couple Married During Brooklyn Half Marathon Return For Anniversary

BROOKLYN, NY — Krissa Cetner and Alex Salazar are celebrating their five year wedding anniversary this weekend at the site of their nuptials — mile six of the Brooklyn half marathon.

"We'll stop by our little spot in the park and take a picture there, but then it's back to the race," said Salazar, who is running with Team for Kids. "We'll finish up in Coney Island with a hot dog and a beer, or maybe champagne."

The Brooklyn couple's wedding, albeit unconventional for most — a 50-or-so person ceremony on a stretch of Prospect Park with both bride and groom decked out in spandex — felt fitting to the duo, who credit a shared passion for fitness as the driving force behind much of their relationship.

"It felt ideal for us," said Cetner, who came up with the idea of a mid-half-marathon wedding while on a run in Prospect Park. "I thought, 'let's get married in the middle of the park we loved while running,' which is how we really got to know each other."

The pair first met in 2012 at a co-ed volleyball game where Cetner, a longtime player, helped Salazar, a first-time referee, set up the net.

Salazar later invited Cetner to join his running group, which is where, while training for the New York City Marathon in 2014, the two started to really bond.

"We spent a lot of time together running," said Salazar. "A Saturday long run of 18 to 20 miles takes a while."

In 2017 the running partners became life partners; him dashing to the alter in a tuxedo-printed running shirt, and her following shortly behind in a white, flower-printed running top (outfits that the duo plan to wear again this weekend).

"I still remember coming around the bend in Prospect Park and seeing so many of our friends and family looking for us in this sea of people," said Cetner. "It was more than I expected, since the ceremony was at like 9 a.m."

This time around, the couple will be cheered on by their three-and-a-half year old son, Myles — running pun intended. He'll meet his parents at the finish line with a friend who ran in their wedding race.

Asked if Myles understands the symbolism of this race, Salazar said: "He's too young, but he understands the concept that mommy and daddy run."

The RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon will kick off near Prospect Park at 7 a.m., marking the race's first return after a years-long pandemic pause and its 40th anniversary.