DMSEÛªs 30 Years
Running, from Storefront in Medford, Mass, to 60,000-Runner Marathon Event in
Singapore
30th
Anniversary Gala on March 12 to benefit the DMSE FoundationÛªs new Running in
Places program for Boston-area school children
BOSTON (February 11, 2011) ÛÒ When Dave McGillivray founded
Dave McGillivray Sports Enterprises, Inc. from a Medford, Mass. storefront 30
years ago, running was known as jogging, wicking material was a terry cloth
headband, and sports drinks and running shoes were in their infancy.
Three decades after organizing his first road race, McGillivray
is now a world renowned race director and pioneer in combining fitness with
fundraising. He and TEAM DMSE organize, consult on and/or direct more than 30
road races annually, including the B.A.A. Boston Marathon, the Standard
Chartered Singapore Marathon and the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K, and have
helped raise millions for charity over the years.
ÛÏWhen I first got started in this business people would ask me
what I do for a living and I would mumble it softly, almost embarrassed to say
I was a race director,Û McGillivray recalled. ÛÏNow, when asked, I say that my
team and I manage races that help people achieve their goals and their dreams.
These are not just road races, they are life changing events for countless
numbers of people.Û
DMSE Sports will mark 30 years running with a gala event on
Saturday, March 12 from 6:30 to 11 p.m. at the Quincy Marriott. Registration
for the DMSE 30th Anniversary Gala, which is open to the public, is online at www.30yearsrunning.com. Proceeds from the
event ÛÒ which will feature a silent auction, guest speakers, drawings and other
activities ÛÒ will benefit the DMSE FoundationÛªs new Running in Places
program.
Founded by Dave McGillivray in 1981, DMSEÛªs first event ÛÒ the
Bay State Triathlon at WrightÛªs Pond in Medford, Mass. ÛÒ attracted 100
participants. That ÛÏTriÛ in 1982 was one of the first triathlons in New England
and one of only a few in the world at the time. McGillivray himself had
done the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii in 1980 and was so taken with the concept
that he was determined to introduce it to fellow athletes in his native
Northeast. Since that time McGillivray himself completed eight Ironmans and has
consulted on some of the worldÛªs most important triathlons. In addition to
introducing the inspirational father-son team of Rick and Dick Hoyt to the
sport, McGillivray, who was inducted into the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame in
January, also was a sports agent to some of the finest triathletes, including
Karen Smyers and Dave Scott, a fellow inductee.
Triathlons marked the start but certainly not the finish for
DMSE Sports. McGillivray quickly earned a reputation as detail minded, safety
oriented and a creative thinker when it came to all things related to event
management. The B.A.A Boston Marathon took notice more than 20 years ago,
bringing him on board to help make the race safer and better for the runners. Since
then he has consulted on 23 ÛÏBostonsÛ and the DMSE resume now includes events
worldwide, such as the 60,000-runner Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon,
which he and his team consulted on in 2010, as well as the 2004 and 2008 USA WomenÛªs Olympic Marathon Trials and
the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
When Olympic Gold Medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson had an idea for
a road race in her hometown of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, she reached out to
McGillivray. Now in its 14th year, that race, the TD Bank Beach to Beacon
10K, is among the most popular on the U.S. road race circuit, attracting some
of the worldÛªs best runners and drawing rave reviews from participants.
ÛÏThe success of this race is due in large part to DaveÛªs
management, which is second to none,Û Samuelson said. ÛÏCongratulations to him
and his team at DMSE for 30 amazing and meaningful years of work and service in
the running industry as well as in the larger community beyond. DMSEÛªs
commitment to excellence, hard work, end results that surpass most
expectations, and to do what is right for the greatest good motivates and
inspires all of us who have had the opportunity and privilege to work with
them. Run on!Û
DMSE Sports (www.dmsesports.com) also is
a pioneer in what is now one of the most important aspects of the athletic
industry ÛÒ combining athletics with philanthropy. Nearly every DMSE event over
the past three decades has included an element of giving back, whether to the
Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, ChildrenÛªs Hospital, Lazarus House
or any of the others who have benefited from the millions of dollars raised
through the more than 900 DMSE organized events. Nearly every DMSE
endeavor has that unbeatable combination of fitness and fundraising. In fact,
McGillivrayÛªs running career really began when he completed a solo
run across the U.S. (Medford, Oregon to Medford, Mass.) when he was 23 years
old to raise money for the Jimmy Fund.
In 2003 McGillivray created his own charity, The DMSE ChildrenÛªs
Fitness Foundation (www.dmsefoundation.org). The
Foundation supports non-profit programs that use running as a primary
means of promoting physical fitness in children. The newest endeavor is the
DMSE FoundationÛªs Running in Places program which focuses on building healthy
bodies and healthy minds by combining physical activity with visits to
educational and historic locations. The motivational program, launched as a
pilot program in 2010, is designed to help public school children learn the
importance of physical fitness, self-esteem, peer respect and
education.
McGillivrayÛªs passion for health and fitness when he was in his
20s continues to serve as the vision for him and his team. It is this
ability to see a race and think like an athlete that has fueled their success,
establishing DMSE Sports as the Gold Standard of excellence in athletic
endeavors and philanthropy since 1981.
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