This article is part of Outside Run’s complete 2023 Boston Marathon race coverage.
Fifty years ago this week, after finishing the Boston Marathon for the first time, Dave McGillivray vowed to run it for the rest of his life.
A lot has changed since 1973—especially the Boston Marathon, which had just 158 finishers that year, compared to the 30,000 lining up on Monday—but McGillivray has so far remained true to his word, both out of the pure joy and satisfaction he gets from running the hallowed race, but also out of respect to his late grandfather.
The fact that this hardscrabble, 68-year-old Bostonian has 50 consecutive Boston finishes under his belt—and continues to run after having triple bypass surgery a few years ago—borders on incredulous. But it still doesn’t tell half the story about his long and passionate connection to America’s most beloved running race, or about his personal accomplishments in endurance sports.
Aside from running the 26.2-mile race from Hopkinton to Boston, McGillivray has given blood, sweat, and tears to the race during three and a half decades serving as one of its…
