Dave McGillivray Completes His 44th Consecutive Boston Marathon Monday Night – After Directing 26,639 Runners to the Finish

Longtime race director has the fourth longest active Boston Marathon streak

BOSTON (April 22, 2016) – B.A.A. Boston Marathon Race Director Dave McGillivray ran his 44^nd consecutive Boston Marathon on Monday night, bringing up the rear after directing 26,639 runners to the finish line. He started just before 5 p.m. and ended in darkness four hours and 29 minutes later.

McGillivray’s Boston Marathon streak ranks him fourth in the event’s Quarter Century Club, which includes all active runners who have completed at least 25 consecutive marathons. McGillivray has run his last 29 Boston Marathons in the evening, following his duties – that began in the pre-dawn hours on Monday - directing the world’s oldest and most prestigious marathon.

McGillivray, 61, president of DMSE Sports, was joined on his evening Boston Marathon run by Matt Auger from Mashpee, Mass., and Jason Todd from Newport News, Va. The team was supported along the course by Ron Kramer and McGillivray’s brother Bob McGillivray, who has been with him for every nighttime marathon.

“Leading up to the (2016) race, I constantly said that it felt like there was a sense of calmness and peacefulness to this year’s race and that is exactly how it all played out,” McGillivray said. “All went well on race day and there were no major issues.  It seemed like it was a fun day for all.  And, there were so many inspiring stories throughout the day – they kept coming and coming and coming. The 2014 race was epic but this year can truly be dubbed ‘The Year of Inspiration.’ ”

He continued, “As for my night run, it could not have gone better. Slow and steady, but mission accomplished.  It was a long day with a happy ending.”

McGillivray, who has now completed 145 marathons overall, was greeted at the finish line by his family, including siblings Susan West, Denise Potts, Alan McGillivray and Bob McGillivray.

McGillivray, president of DMSE Sports, first gained national prominence with his 1978 cross country run - from Medford, Oregon to Medford, Mass. - that took 80 days and raised almost $150,000 for the Jimmy Fund – the first money any runner ever raised for a cancer charity, according to Runner’s World. He has completed a number of similar feats of endurance since his groundbreaking cross country trek, including a second cross-country run in 2004 from San Francisco to Boston as part of TREK USA, a relay team event that raised more than $300,000 for five children’s charities.

Over his career, McGillivray has logged more than 150,000 miles and completed nine Hawaii Ironman Triathlons in addition to his 145 marathons. 

McGillivray, a Medford native who lives in North Andover, Mass., is a pioneer in what is now one of the most important aspects of the endurance sports industry – combining athletics with philanthropy. Nearly every DMSE Sports event combines fitness and fundraising, giving back to the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Children’s Hospital, Lazarus House and many others charities and non-profit organizations in New England and across the country. He along with all the events he has directed have helped raised more than $100 million for charity over the years.

Most recently, McGillivray has focused his personal fundraising efforts on benefiting MR8, the Martin W. Richard Charitable Foundation, which was formed by the parents of the 8-year-old boy killed at the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings.

DMSE Sports is a leader in sports event management, specializing in creating, marketing and producing mass participatory athletic events throughout the U.S. and abroad. In addition to the B.A.A. Boston Marathon, DMSE manages more than 25 major road races per year, including the TD Beach to Beacon in Maine, the New Balance Falmouth Road Race on Cape Cod, the Finish at the 50 at Patriot Place, the Bellin Run in Green Bay, Wis., the Feaster Five Thanksgiving Day Road Race and the Across the Bay 10K in Annapolis, Md., among others. For more info, visit www.dmsesports.com.

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IMAGES
Top: Dave McGillivray crossing Boston Marathon finish line for 44th consecutive time on Monday night
Second: Emblem painted at start to mark McGillivray's 44th marathon
Third: McGillivray on the Boston Marathon course with Matt Auger and Jason Todd
Last: Dave with siblings Denise Potts, Susan West, Alan McGillivray and Bob McGillivray at the finish
Below: McGillivray receiving pre-race hug from Boston Marathon bombing survivor Adrianne Haslet; McGillivray checking in on Haslet along the course.

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