AUDIO: EDITOR'S INTERVIEW—BOSTON RACE DIRECTOR DAVE MCGILLIVRAY
SC RAMBLER
I first met Dave in January 2014 at the Walt Disney Marathon Race Expo when he was one of the guest speakers. He was also there to run the Dopey Challenge (5K, 10K, Half and Full in consecutive days). We've kept in touch over the last 5 years and I consider him a friend. When I asked him to do this interview he was more than willing! If I were to sum up one of his great qualities is he is a giver as he is always doing for others.
On October 12, 2018, just over four months ago, Dave had triple bypass heart surgery. But don't think for one second that it'll keep him down as on April 15, 2019, he hopes to run his race, the Boston Marathon, for the 47th year in a row, and the 32nd at night, after his director duties are done. Dave has had the title Boston Marathon Race Director since 2001, but he's been with the BAA since 1988 as the Technical Director. He said it was basically the same job, just a title change.
Just listen to this Athletic Resume:
World Marathon Challenge (7 Marathons in 7 days on 7 Continents) in January 2018
9 Hawaii Ironman Triathlons
Run Across America in 1978 at age 23, He ran it again in a relay 25 years later
Run up the East Coast
Boston Marathon 46 times in a row
155 Complete Marathons with a 2:29:58 PR at the Boston Marathon in 1979 or 1980
24hr Run, 24hr Bike, 24hr Swim
Runs his age each year on his birthday since he was 12
He's been running for 52 years and most of this has all been while raising money for charity. Dave founded DMSE Sports in 1982 a full-service race and event-management organization. They manage 32 or 33 events a year now. In total Dave estimates that with all the races he's created and run for charity they've raised over $300 million. He had raised money for the Jimmy Fund and MR8, the Martin Richard Foundation. Martin Richard was the 8-year-old boy that died at the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
Dave is also an author. He wrote the book The Last Pick in 2006. It's about his athletic life and how he found running since he found team sports were a challenge or like he likes to say he was vertically challenged (Dave, I know the feeling!) as he was “The Last Pick” for being chosen on teams. It's a great read if you're looking for a running book!
Last year he released a children's book called Dream Big: A True Story of Courage and Determination. It's about Dave's story of passion, determination, and grit. Kids can participate in his challenge Dream Big Marathon of running 26 miles in 26 days, read 26 books, and do 6 acts of kindness. Those that complete the challenge receive a medal.
So with a month and a half to go till Patriots Day, April 15th, 2019 I asked Dave how he was feeling. He described his recovery as progressing well initially then hitting a plateau, then miraculously he was able to run 40 mins without having to walk and has since been able to run for an hour and then an hour and a half without having to walk. So he's back to making progress. But the current weather has held him back a little and as he said he's running out of runway, but is hopeful to shuffle through the Boston Marathon for the 47th year in a row! Good luck Dave!