Marathon Champions

What defines a champion? I've copied and pasted a few definitions of the word below:

• someone who has won first place in a competition
• someone who fights for a cause
• supporter: a person who backs a politician or a team etc.; "all their supporters came out for the game"; "they are friends of the library"
• protect or fight for as a champion
• holding first place in a contest; "a champion show dog"; "a prizewinning wine"
• ace: someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field

I'm forever reading stories of marathon "champions," so I've decided to include a few of their profiles in my blog:

Although Dave McGillivray is dazzlingly skilled in running, he has never won a single marathon. I actually had the opportunity to hear him speak at the recent Conference on Philanthropy in Boston. He reinforced the importance of a strong work ethic and spoke on the value of surrounding oneself with motivational people. He also emphasized the significance of jotting one's personal goals down on paper, which is why I'd like to declare that my marathon goal is to finish! Dave is a true inspiration in my life and is best known for:

• He ran across the U.S. in 1978 for The Jimmy Fund. McGillivray ran a total of 3,452 miles in 80 days averaging 45 miles a day;
• In May 2004, McGillivray ran across the country again, this time with nine other veteran marathoners, in relay style, from San Francisco to Boston as part of TREK USA, an event which he founded that raised over $300,000 for five children's charities;
• McGillivray is Race Director of the world's oldest and most famous road race, the B.A.A. Boston Marathon for which he has worked tirelessly for 20 years;
• Personally, he has run 121 marathons including the Boston Marathon for the past 35 consecutive years, the last 19 at night after his race director duties have been completed;
• As a personal challenge at age 12, he began running his age in miles on his birthday each year, never having missed a year in the past 39 years. Last year he ran 52 miles on his 52nd birthday;
  
• He has logged more than 130,000 miles in his lifetime (to date);
  
• McGillivray directed or consulted on over 800 events;
  
• He has given more than 1,500 motivational speeches to audiences throughout the U.S. and the world;
  
• McGillivray is owner and President of Dave McGillivray Sports Enterprises, Inc. For 25 years, "DMSE," as its known, has produced mass-participatory atheletic events nationally and internationally;
  
• More than $50 million has been raised for charity through both McGillivray's personal efforts and by events his company has managed;
  
• Road Race Management and Running times Magazine named McGillivray Race Director of the Year in 2000;
  
• McGillivray was inducted into the Running USA Hall of Champions in January 2005. The Hall of Champions is intended to celebrate members of the running industry who have made exceptional contributions to the development of the sport;
  
• He created The DMSE Children's Fitness Foundation, a non-profit aimed at ending childhood obesity by funding and developing programs to inspire and cultivate a generation of healthy and successful children;
  
• McGillivray authored The Last Pick, with Linda Glass Fechter, which chronicles his career while motivating and inspiring the reader to never underestimate their own ability, to set goals and to achieve what is thought to be the impossible;
  
• He was awarded the Lazarus House "Christ the Servant Award" in 2006 for continuous dedication to the unloved and forgotten who are served by the Lazarus House Ministries;
  
• He completed a 24-hour run (120 miles), bike (385 miles), and swim (27 miles).

My roommate told me the story of Rosie Ruiz during our afternoon long run. She was the first woman to cross the finish line in the Boston Marathon held on April 21, 1980, but I hardly consider her a marathon "champion." She had achieved the third fastest time ever recorded for a female runner (two hours, thirty-one minutes, and fifty-six seconds) by cheating! She had apparently hopped on the subway midway through the race. The famous disappearing act became somewhat obvious when camera footage revealed that she was absent from most of of the race. Further investigation revealed that Rosie also cheated to win the New York Marathon at an earlier date. Officials stripped her of her Boston victory and awarded the title to the real winner, Jackie Gareau.


A blog post about marathon champions just isn't complete without mentioning Jack Fultz. He won the 1976 Boston Marathon with an official time of 2:20:19. The temperature reached 100 degrees during Jack's race, which makes his triumphant finish even more impressive!

Jack has not only finished the Boston Marathon in first place but, in 1995, added the distinction of finishing last together with Dave McGillivray.

Jack Fultz is now an instructor of sport psychology at Tufts University, a fitness consultant and personal coach, and running coach to the 2008 Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge!

In 1996, Fultz was inducted into the DC Road Runners Hall of Fame.

In the October issue of Boston magazine, Dunkin' Donuts acknowledged Jack as a Bostonian who helps this city run. Dunkin' Donuts treated Jack and members of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to an assortment of Dunkin' Breakfast treats and coffee. Jack's involvement with the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge displays his enthusiasm for supporting active members of the community in their efforts to raise funds and awareness on behalf of Dana-Farber.