Community Corner
North Andover Man To Run 54th Boston Marathon
Dave McGillivray will run alongside his three children and will raise funds for the Finish Strong Foundation.
NORTH ANDOVER, MA — Dave McGillivray, a North Andover resident, will run his 54th Boston Marathon this year.
This year will be "especially meaningful as McGillivray will run alongside three of his children - Max, Luke, and Elle - marking what may be only the second time in Boston Marathon history that a parent and three children have competed in the race together," according to a press release.
The McGillivray family will be part of the Finish Strong Foundation charity team, raising funds to support youth programs that promote physical activity, literacy, and acts of kindness.
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McGillivray's race will mark his 54th Boston Marathon and his 174th marathon finish, extending one of the longest streaks in the event’s history. The milestone also comes eight years after McGillivray underwent open heart surgery in 2018.
“This race has been part of my life for more than five decades,” said McGillivray, president of the Dave McGillivray Finish Strong Foundation. “But sharing the starting line with my children makes this marathon especially meaningful. Running has always been something that has brought our family together.”
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Retired NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, who recently returned to Earth after spending nine months aboard the International Space Station, will also join the family to run as part of the Finish Strong Foundation, which includes 20 runners from around the world raising funds for the organization.
The McGillivray family is dedicating this year’s race to the memory of Susan Hurley, founder of CharityTeams, who passed away in November after a battle with ovarian cancer.
Her work helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charitable causes connected to the Boston Marathon community.
“The Boston Marathon has always been a family affair for the McGillivrays,” Max McGillivray said in a statement. “This year is especially meaningful as I run in honor of my mother, Susan Hurley, and the causes she believed in.”
Learn more by going to the Finish Strong Foundation team website.
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