Boston Marathon Runner Looking For Man She Kissed On A Dare

A Tennessee woman who ran the Boston Marathon is looking for the man she kissed on a dare.

Barbara Tatge says her daughter, Paige, dared her to kiss a random, good-looking man and take a photo of it as she ran her first Boston Marathon on April 20.

So, about halfway into the race, that's what the single 55-year-old from Lakeland did. "That little kiss gave me wings on my shoes for the rest of the race," Tatge said Friday by phone.

Now Paige Tatge, a graduate student at Arizona State University, is determined to find the mystery man, who clearly left an impression on her mom. This week, she's taken to social media and made outright appeals to Boston-area media. Paige Tatge says it's a birthday present to her mom.

"The response has been great so far," she said by email. "I can't believe the responses from random people wanting my mom to find this man. It's been great."

Barbara Tatge says she's a little embarrassed by the attention.

"I don't want it to seem like I'm this desperate woman that's seeking this man," she said. "But my daughters are so sweet, and they're always looking out for my best interests."

Tatge also doesn't want to put her mystery man in an awkward position if he's in a relationship or married. "I would want his wife to know I was definitely the aggressor," she says. "I mean, I approached him, you know?"

Tatge admits she's curious to see where this dare — a twist on the traditional kisses offered to runners by the women of Wellesley College — leads. She also regrets not taking the moment to get his phone number after he yelled out for her to call him as she resumed the race.

"I'd like to find out who he is, regardless of how this all turns out," Tatge says. "Am I kicking myself? Maybe just a little."

Paige says she's not surprised her mom took her up on the challenge.

"My mom is the definition of a risk-taker! I was more surprised that the man was so handsome," she wrote. "I dared my mom to kiss a Wellesley man because my mom truly wanted to have a good time at the Boston Marathon. The race wasn't about time to her. It was about having a great experience. I wanted to help her have some fun along the run!"