Medford Native Named to USA Triathlon Hall of Fame

Dave McGillivray, nationally recognized race director, founder of Boston-based DMSE Sports, to be honored in January

Dave McGillivray, nationally recognized race director and president of DMSE Sports, Inc., has been selected for induction into the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame.

McGillivray and two other legends – decorated age-group triathlete Susan Bradley-Cox and six-time Ironman champion Dave Scott – will join an elite group of 13 inductees to the hall of fame when the honor is awarded at the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame’s annual banquet in Colorado Springs on Jan. 15, 2011.

McGillivray’s career includes more than 30 years participating in, directing and creating road races and triathlons. In 1981, he founded DMSE Sports, Inc. (www.dmsesports.com) and the first event he directed was the 1982 Bay State Triathlon in his native Medford, Mass. Since then McGillivray has directed or consulted on more than 900 events, including 150 triathlons such as the 1983 Cape Cod Endurance Triathlon, believed to be the first ultra-distance event of its kind in the continental U.S. McGillivray also directed the second-ever ITU World Championship in 1990 in Orlando, Fla., the 1998 Goodwill Games Triathlon Games in New York City, numerous USTS triathlons, and the Monster Challenge in Boston.

“I am totally humbled and honored to be getting this award – and to be among these amazing triathlon athletes,” said McGillivray, who as an athlete himself competed in his first of eight Ironman Triathlons in 1980 after reading about the event in Sports Illustrated a year earlier. “I’ve always felt there is no such thing as an individual award and nothing could be closer to the truth on this one. I share this honor with many, many others, who have been instrumental in the growth and development of our sport.”

“This honor has a special meaning for me as DMSE celebrates 30 years in the business in March, 2011,” he added.

Perhaps better known as the long-time race director of the BAA Boston Marathon and the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K in Maine, McGillivray also created the New England Triathlon Series in 1984, which was one of the first triathlon series in the U.S. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of USA Triathlon for seven years and the International Triathlon Union (ITU) Technical Committee for five years, he has directed a number of ITU World Cup events in Bermuda and St. Thomas. McGillivray also was the agent to many of the sports biggest stars in the 1980s, including Mike Pigg, Erin Baker, Scott Molina, Karen Smyers, Jan Ripple, Ken Glah and Dave Scott, who will ironically be inducted with McGillivray in January.

As a triathlete, McGillivray accomplishments are also noteworthy. He completed the New England Run in 1981, a 1,522-mile triathlon around New England to benefit the Jimmy Fund of Boston, consisting of a daily one-mile swim, 80-mile bike and 20-mile run – each day for 32 days. He completed this amazing feat in front of 60,000 spectators in Foxboro Stadium.

The third annual Triathlon Hall of Fame banquet will be held in conjunction with the 2011 USA Triathlon Race Director Symposium on Jan. 15, 2011. For additional information, visit the organization’s website at www.usatriathlon.org.

“USA Triathlon is thrilled to welcome this well-deserving and diverse class into our hall of fame,” said Chuck Graziano, chair of the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame Committee. “Susan Bradley-Cox, Dave McGillivray and Dave Scott are outstanding representatives of the multisport lifestyle, and we are incredibly grateful for their contributions to our sport.”

Founded by McGillivray in 1981, DMSE Sports, Inc., is a leader in sports event management, specializing in creating, marketing and producing mass participatory athletic events throughout the U.S. and abroad. McGillivray has produced or consulted on more than 900 mass-participatory athletic events throughout the world, including 23 Boston Marathons, 13 TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10Ks in Maine, 150 triathlons; the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and the upcoming Feaster Five Thanksgiving Day Road Race and the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore on Dec. 5. For more info, visit www.dmsesports.com.

– Information from DMSE Sports