Dave McGillivray to Serve as Keynote Speaker at Runner's World Half & Festival Oct. 18-20

Founder of DMSE Sports, McGillivray serves as race director of B.A.A. Boston Marathon, TD Beach to Beacon, Falmouth Road Race and other prominent road races nationwide

BOSTON (September 25, 2013) – Dave McGillivray of DMSE Sports, the renowned race director of the B.A.A. Boston Marathon and other classic road races nationwide, will serve as keynote speaker at the Runner’s World Half Marathon and Running Festival Oct. 18-20 in Bethlehem, Penn.

The Runner’s World Half Marathon and Running Festival, now in its second year, is a weekend celebration of the sport of running and fitness with seminars, live music, running films and a range of race events, including a 5K, 10K and Half Marathon, with multiple-race options for runners. The festival takes place on the grounds of the Bethlehem Steel Mill and ArtsQuest SteelSacks Campus. Find more information at www.RWHalf.com

McGillivray will provide two separate keynote addresses during the prerace pasta dinner hosted by the editors of Runner’s World on Saturday, Oct. 19. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at www.rwhalf.com..

McGillivray, who is well-known for his inspirational talks, will address overcoming obstacles to achieve your dreams. He was often the last kid picked in grade school gym class but his relentless desire to be an athlete led him to run the Boston Marathon as a teenager and then across the country a few years later to raise money for charity.

McGillivray recently spoke to a group of young runners from the Bethlehem chapter of the Mighty Milers, the festival’s charity benefactor.

“When I was your age I wanted to be one thing and one thing only – I wanted to be an athlete,” he said. “My handicap was that I was vertically challenged. I was always the last one picked.”

McGillivray said he took up running because he kept getting cut from sports teams and pickup games. “I found running because nobody can cut you from running. You don’t have to be chosen. You just go out and run.”

McGillivray gained national prominence with his 1978 cross country run that took 80 days and raised almost $150,000 for the Jimmy Fund – the first money any runner ever raised for a cancer charity. He has now logged more than 150,000 miles, finished 127 marathons – including 41 consecutive Boston Marathons – and eight Hawaii Ironman Triathlons.

McGillivray 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-led or DMSE-owned 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. DMSE-managed events have raised more than $100 million for charity over the years.

Speaking about this year’s Boston Marathon, McGillivray said he continues to admire the volunteers and race organizers who rushed to help others when tragedy struck.

 “We will not be denied our running freedom,” he said. “This will only strengthen our sport and we will have a renewed sense of patriotism now.”

McGillivray said serving as the keynote speaker at this year’s Runner’s World Half Marathon and Running Festival will continue the healing process.

“We have to, in life, turn negatives into positives and that’s what we have to do in Boston,” he said. “That’s why I appreciate the opportunity to be here.”

About DMSE Sports

Founded by McGillivray in 1981, 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 30 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, Run for the Dream in Williamsburg, Va., the Bellin Run in Green Bay, Wis., the Feaster Five Thanksgiving Day Run and the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk, among others. For more info, visit www.dmsesports.com.

About the Runner’s World Half Marathon and Running Festival

The Runner’s World Half Marathon and Running Festival presented by Altra Zero Drop Footwear is a weekend-long celebration of running at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem, PA. It features kids’ runs on Friday, Oct. 18 and 5-K and 10-K races on Saturday, Oct. 19 before the half-marathon on Sunday, Oct. 20, as well as running-related seminars, movies, live music and a health and fitness expo. The event, produced by Rodale Inc.'s Runner's World magazine, recently added the Eukanuba Dog Run on Saturday, Oct. 19, and announced that Olympic Gold–Medalist Summer Sanders will also participate in the weekend. The 2012 inaugural event, with over 6,000 participants, was awarded Silver Certification from the Council of Responsible Sport for its commitment to environmental and social responsibility. For more information or to register for any of the races or events, log on to www.RWHalf.com or get instant updates on twitter (@rwhalf) and Facebook (Runner’s World Half & Festival).

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Top photo courtesy of Robert James Reese at Runner's World

Here is more information about DMSE Sports