
Dave McGillivray running at the Triathlon at Lake Pearl (Hockomock Triathlon) in Wrentham, MA (July 20, 2014)
Every runner in the world knows the Boston Marathon.
(As do hundreds of millions of non-runners!)
"Boston" (as runners call it--no need to say "The Boston Marathon")
is such a focal point of the running community that it has
spawned its own acronym:
BQ
Runners around the world strive for a BQ--
a Boston Qualifying time!
--that will allow them to wear a bib number
in Hopkinton, MA on Patriots Day,
and run 26.2 miles to Copley Square in Boston.
The race and its lore are larger than life.
How much larger?
The response of Boston-area runners
to the murderous Marathon bombings
spawned the phrase:
Boston Strong
(When you say it, say it with awe.
Respect.
(When you say it, say it with awe.
Respect.
And solidarity.)
Central to the smooth running of this amazing event
Central to the smooth running of this amazing event
is its long-time race director, Dave McGillivray.
Beloved by tens of thousands of runners
Beloved by tens of thousands of runners
who line up in Hopkinton each year.
We know he makes the Marathon work.
We know he makes the Marathon work.
We know he keeps us, and many miles of spectators, safe.
But what does Dave do when he's not running the
oldest and most legendary running event in the world?
Yup.
He runs.
Swims.
Swims.
And rides his bike.
On this day he swam a quarter-mile,
On this day he swam a quarter-mile,
biked 9 miles on the rolling New England countryside,
and ran 5K.
(This was at the Triathlon at Lake Pearl,
a scenic race put on by the Hockomock Area YMCA
in Wrentham, MA.)
I snapped this photo as he rounded the final
turn towards the finish line.
Go-ooo, Dave!
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