Dave McGillivray Race Director, Boston Marathon In 1978, the running industry changed forever. That summer, over the course of 80 days, Dave McGillivray ran the 3,452 miles from Medford, OR, to Medford, MA— averaging 45 miles a day—to benefit the Jimmy Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. This would be the first time in history that running was paired with fundraising for cancer research. The running industry wasn’t the only thing to change after Dave ran across the country—his own life took a dramatic turn as well. Days after reaching Boston, he was fired from his actuarial job (he often says it was a defining moment and the best thing to happen to him), so he set out on a life of running, philanthropy, and providing inspiration. Below are some of his career highlights from the past 40 years. He has served as race and technical director of the B.A.A. Boston Marathon for 35 years. He founded DMSE Sports, Inc. in 1981 and continues as its president. In 2018, he completed the World Marathon Challenge (7 marathons in 7 days on 7 continents). He competed in the Ironman Triathlon World Championship nine times, with a best finish of 14th. He ran the 1,250 miles along the U.S. East Coast in 1980 to again benefit the Jimmy Fund. He completed a 24-hour run (120 miles); a 24-hour bike (385 miles), and a 24-hour swim (27 miles) He triathloned around the six New England states by swimming one mile, biking 80 miles and running 20 miles every day for 32 consecutive days. For his 12th birthday and every one since, Dave has run his age in miles. Over the span of his life, he estimates he’s run more than 150,000 miles. For the 2004 and 2008 U.S. Women’s Olympic Marathon trials, he served as race director. He was a race consultant for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. He was valedictorian of both his high school (Medford High) and college (Merrimack College) classes. In his spare time, he’s co-authored several books: his autobiography The Last Pick, published by Rodale Press; and three children’s illustrated books: Dream Big, Running Across America, and Finish Strong, published by Nomad Press, Inc. In 2000, Road Race Managment named him Race Director of the Year. He was inducted into the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame in 2011. Runner’s World named him their 2007 Hero of Running. He was inducted into the Road Runners Club of America Long Distance Running Hall of Fame in 2017. Has run 165 full marathons, including 50 consecutive Boston Marathons. He’s directed or consulted on more than 1,400 events throughout the world. Dave has given more than 1,900 motivational talks throughout the U.S. and abroad. In 2012, he received an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from his alma mater, Merrimack College. DMSE Sports and Dave have helped raise more than $200 million for various charities through the events they manage. In 2021, he received the Old North Church Third Lantern Award. He launched the Dave McGillivray Finish Strong Foundation in 2022, and raised more than $100,000 for his 50th Boston Marathon run. Dave is married with five children (Ryan 31, Max 28, Elle 18, Luke 16, Chloe 13) and resides in North Andover, MA.