Boston Marathon runner who kissed stranger hears from man’s wife

What could have ended in a love story turned into an awkward moment after a woman searched for a stranger she kissed during the Boston Marathon — only to hear back from the man’s wife.

Barbara Tatge was dared by her daughter to kiss a random, good-looking man in Wellesley, where college women nearby traditionally offer kisses to runners, AP reported.

After the fight, the mother and daughter posted on social media in search of the man, only to receive a letter from the couple.

“When this story aired on the news, we were pretty surprised,” the mystery man’s wife wrote in the letter. “For me, I’m not mad. Believe me, our friends have gotten a lot of mileage out of this story and I have thoroughly enjoyed watching them give my husband grief!”

The couple asked to remain anonymous given the circumstances.

“While this may not be the ending that you had hoped for, that spontaneous, silly moment in Wellesley captured the fun, energy and spirit of the Boston Marathon,” she wrote.

Tatge told AP she hopes to run the marathon next year, but is “going to revert to only kissing single men.”

Contact Kristen DeSilva at 702-477-3895 or kdesilva@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @kristendesilva