WHEN Sarah Jameson walked the last stretch of a 62-mile hike, she thought it would be her who fell to her knees, not her boyfriend.

But when the 28-year-old from Accrington crossed the finish line of the Ribble Way Challenge, her partner of nearly 10 years, Howard Kerr, got down on one knee and proposed.

Sarah, of Queens Road West, said: "I had just finished the walk and Howard was crouched down in front of me holding me while I pulled my trainers and socks off.

"So I guess you could say he got down on one knee, and he just asked me to marry him and produced a ring.

"I said ‘Of course – it’s only taken nine-and-a-half years and 62 miles for you to propose’."

Sarah, who works for BAE Systems, was taking part in the sponsored hike in aid of Sue Ryder Cancer Care.

She and her team "Dead on Arrival" made up of colleagues Gillian Derbyshire, Pam Hardman, and Diane Body, started the 100k event at the Ribblehead Viaduct on Saturday 20 June, and were the first women’s team to cross the line at Preston Docks 25 hours later.

She said: "We kept going all through the night – the longest stop was about 40 minutes for food. The biggest thing I’ve done before this was the Great North Run, but that was nothing compared to what I’ve just done.

"I was so relieved when we got to the end. So when Howard proposed it was a shock and quite emotional."

Howard, 29, who also works for BAE, said: "To see the lads hobbling in and then to see the girls marching in as they did – it was a hell of an achievement.

"I was very nervous and didn’t want to take anything away from the four girls’ achievements. But I’m glad I did it and a lot of them said it was the icing on the cake.

"We’ve no date set for the wedding but we are looking at early next year."

The team has raised nearly £2,000 so far for Sue Ryder Care.

To make a secure online donation log on to: www.justgiving.com/100kmribbleway.