Dave McGillivray | SpeakerHub

Personal Details

Bio

Running legend Dave McGillivray has increased the self-esteem of millions of people through his work as an entrepreneur, philanthropist, motivational speaker, author, and athlete. Dave is best known for his athletic feats including his 80-day trek across the United States, running the 3,452 miles from Medford, Oregon, to Medford, Massachusets in the summer of 1978 to benefit the Jimmy Fund. In addition, he’s received great acclaim for directing or consulting on more than 1,400 events throughout the world including the Boston Marathon, the Olympic Marathon trials, and the Olympic Games.

Current position (2)

Owner, CEO

DMSE

Race Course Director

Boston Marathon

Achievements (16)

166 full marathons, including 50 consecutive Boston Marathon

80 Day Run across the U.S.

In 1978, McGillivray ran across the U.S. from Medford, Oregon, to his hometown of Medford, Massachusetts. Over the course of 80 days, he ran a distance of 3,452 miles, averaging 45–50 miles a day for the majority of the journey raising funds for the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Instituite.

Wrentham State School 24-Hour Run

Dave traversed 120 miles in 24 hours through 31 communities in southeastern Massachusetts, ending in Foxboro Stadium at halftime of a New England Patriots game. It was held to benefit the Wrentham State School, and the event raised more than $10,000 for the handicapped.

East Coast Run

He ran the East Coast Run to once again benefit the Jimmy Fund. From Winter Haven, Florida, to Boston, Massachusetts, McGillivray ran 1,520 miles and was joined by Robert Hall, a pioneer of wheelchair marathoning. While in Washington, D.C., the duo met with President Jimmy Carter at the White House.

8 Hawaii Ironman Triathlons

In the 80s Dave entered his first Hawaii Ironman Triathlon. He finished 14th in the competition, and was the 30th person to have ever completed an Ironman. He would go on to complete eight more Hawaii Ironmans over his career.

Empire State Building Run-Up

Ran in the Empire State Building Run-Up, an 86-story, 1,575-step run. He placed 10th overall with a time of 13 minutes, 27 seconds.

Blindfolded Boston Marathon

Ran the Boston Marathon in 3:14 while blindfolded and being escorted by two guides to raise $10,000 for the Carroll Center for the Blind in Newton, Massachusetts.

Falmouth to Martha's Vineyard Swim

McGillivray swam more than seven miles from Martha's Vineyard to Falmouth, Massachusetts, raising funds for the Jimmy Fund.

Running Club - Walpole State Prison

He formed the first sanctioned running club inside a maximum security institution at Walpole State Prison in Massachusetts. He conducted and ran in numerous distance races inside the prison yard, including completing and winning a full 26.2 mile marathon against inmates.

24-hour swim

In 1983, he completed 24-hour swim in the Olympic-size Medford High School pool, which totaled 1,884 lengths and covering 27 miles, again raising funds for the Jimmy Fund

1,000 mi New England cycle

McGillivray cycled more than 1,000 miles throughout six New England states in 14 days to raise money for a scholarship fund for his alma mater, Merrimack College.

24 hour cycle

McGillivray biked again for 24 consecutive hours around a five-mile loop course in Medford, Massachusetts while simultaneously directing the annual Bay State Triathlon being held on the course at the same time. He covered a total of 385 miles, again raising money for the Jimmy Fund.

Jimmy Fund Walk

In 1989, he helped create the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk, an event that has raised more than $5 million a year for the Jimmy Fund of Boston. Each year, nearly 10,000 walkers walk along the famous Boston Marathon course.

U.S. relay

In 2004, McGillivray and nine other marathons runners ran relay-style across the U.S. following the same path he took in 1978, raising $350,000 for five charities benefiting children. They called the run TREK USA, which was an acronym for Trans-continental Embracing Kids.

World Marathon Challenge

In February 2018, he completed the World Marathon Challenge, which consists of seven marathons on seven continents in seven days.

Birthday Run

Each year McGillivray runs his birthday age in miles, a tradition he started when he was 12 and realized that running was his passion.

Degrees (1)

N/A

Merrimack College

1973 to 1976

Presentations

Presentations (1)

Defining Moments

Dave McGillivray translates his extraordinary life journeys and athletic achievements into life lessons that leave each audience wanting more.

Everyone has a story to tell. For Dave McGillivray, it was his strong desire to be an athlete that led him to run across the country in 1978 at age 23. That 80-day trek across the United States led to a life of pushing himself both mentally and physically. McGillivray has been race director of the B.A.A. Boston Marathon and has directed many of the country's most prestigious races, such as the 2004 and 2008 U.S. Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials, the 1990 ITU Triathlon World Championship, the TD Beach to Beacon 10K, the ASICS Falmouth Road Race, and numerous other races. He addresses audiences with a motivational account that is not about running...it’s about what’s possible if you believe in yourself and your own ability to do the seemingly insurmountable.

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Press Resources

Expertise (16)

Clients

For nearly 40 years and more than 1,900 appearances McGillivray has inspired and motivated audiences in nearly every major U.S. city and has traveled abroad to various countries.

Awards & certifications (14)

2000 Lifetime Achievement Award

Competitor Magazine

2000

2000 Director of the Year

Running Times Magazine

2000

2005 Inducted into the Running USA Hall of Champions

Running USA Hall of Champions

2005

2007 Runner’s World Heroes of Running Award, honoring outstanding individuals from the running community whose achievements and contributions are nothing short of extraordinary

Runner’s World

2007

2007 Proclaimed Honorary Citizen

Town of Hopkinton, Massachusetts

2007

2009 Jimmy Award

Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

2009

2010 Fleet Feet Lifetime Commitment to Running Award

Fleet Feet

2010

2010 Ron Burton Community Service Award

Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association

2010

2011 Inducted into the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame

USA Triathlon Hall of Fame

2011

2015 MarathonFoto/Road Race Management Lifetime Achievement Award

MarathonFoto/Road Race Management

2015

2015 Runner's World "The 50 Most Influential People in Running" list

Runner's World

2015

2017 Road Runners Club of America Distance Running Hall of Fame Inductee

RRCA

2017

2017 Merrimack College Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee

Merrimack College

2017

2019 Sports Museum Lifetime Achievement Award

Sports Museum

2019

Reviews

Testimonials (4)

Moving, inspirational, powerful, empowering...motivating
Kelly McLay
Dave was just awesome! The students all were quite motivated after hearing him speak! They wrote thank you notes and after reading them, I was moved to see how much they took from the presentation.
Patricia Hazelton
Dave is a must have speaker. He was inspirational and enthusiastic. Just wonderful.
Molyna Sim Richards
Dave would have my full recommendation for any speaking engagement. He has a great story to tell and he is a captivating speaker.
Curt Morrow