Bellin Run Kickoffs are Feb. 19-20

February 5, 2019

Boston Marathon Race Director, 7-continent marathoner McGillivray to keynote

Boston Marathon Race Director and recent World Marathon Challenge finisher Dave McGillivray will headline the Bellin Run’s 2019 Kids for Running and Corporate Challenge kickoff events Feb. 19 and 20 at Green Bay Distillery, 835 Mike McCarthy Way.

Named one of Runner’s World magazine’s “50 Most Influential People in Running,” McGillivray is an accomplished distance athlete whose long list of notable achievements includes running across the United States — 3,452 miles in 80 days — to raise money for the Jimmy Fund, an organization that supports adult and pediatric cancer care. He has completed nine Hawaii Ironman Triathlons (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2 mile run) and 155 marathons, including running the Boston Marathon every year since 1973 (these days after most of the field has finished). Most recently, he completed the World Marathon Challenge, running seven marathons on seven continents in seven days.

McGillivray is also an author, entrepreneur, motivational speaker and philanthropist who has dedicated many of his endurance athletic pursuits to fundraising for a variety of worthy causes. A longtime friend of the Bellin Run, McGillivray has served as the event’s operational race director since 2008.

“Dave McGillivray is a true legend of the sport of running, and we are so fortunate to know him as a colleague — and even more so as a friend,” said Bellin Run Executive Race Director Randy Van Straten. “I can’t think of a better person to fire up our Kids for Running and Corporate Challenge leaders, inspiring them to help us get even more feet on the street this June.”

McGillivray’s talk will focus on his experience during last year’s World Marathon Challenge, a logistical and physical challenge in which competitors must run the standard 26.2-mile marathon distance on each of the seven continents within seven days. He will also talk about his struggles with coronary heart disease, which he has battled despite his lifelong commitment to physical fitness.

The Bellin Run Kids for Running program provides school-based training for area youth to prepare for and ultimately complete the 10K (6.2-mile) Bellin Run. Kids for Running coaches hold training sessions two to three times weekly, providing the structure and motivation necessary for their young athletes to go the distance on race day. Last year, the Kids for Running program drew nearly 1,200 students, staff and family members from 54 area elementary schools.

Registration and dinner for the Kids for Running kickoff event begin at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19 at Green Bay Distillery, with the program beginning at 6. Registration is required by Feb. 11 at surveymonkey.com/r/K4R2019RSVP. For more information about the Kids for Running program, visit www.bellinrun.com/programs/kids-for-running or email [email protected].

The Bellin Run Corporate Challenge is a program that challenges local companies in a fun and friendly participation- and timing-based competition. Program captains organize the Corporate Challenge at their respective locations, serving as the main point of contact and coordinating program details, training information and motivational messages. In 2018, the Corporate Challenge had teams from 258 area companies with nearly 6,400 total participants.

Registration and breakfast for the Corporate Challenge kickoff begin at 7 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20 at Green Bay Distillery, with the program and material pick-up running from 7:45-9:15. Registration is required by Feb. 11 at surveymonkey.com/r/2019CorporateKickoffRSVP. For more information about the Corporate Challenge program, visit www.bellinrun.com/programs/corporate-challenge or email [email protected].

The 2018 Bellin Run recorded 12,050 registrants. Additional information is available at www.bellinrun.com.

The 43rd annual Bellin Run will take place at 8 a.m. Saturday, June 8. For more information or to register, visit bellinrun.com. Follow the Bellin Run on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.