DMSE Sports

When Dave McGillivray founded DMSE SPORTS in a Medford, MA, storefront in 1981, running was known as jogging, wicking material was a terry cloth headband, and sports drinks and running shoes were in their infancy.

OUR MISSION

DMSE Sports is an industry leader in event management operations and logistics. From road races to charity walks, we pride ourselves on producing safe and technically excellent events by creating trusted relationships, paying attention to every detail, and executing flawlessly. DMSE strives to produce the highest-caliber experience, whether consulting on existing events or building and managing them from the ground up.

Our EVENTS

The company and its 75+ consultants manage more than 30 major road races and charitable events per year, including:

The Early Years

Since 1981, DMSE has organized or consulted on more than 1,000 events, raising millions for charity and earning a reputation as one of the most thorough, well organized race management firms in the U.S.

DMSE’s first event – the Bay State Triathlon at Wright’s Pond in Medford, Mass. – attracted 100 participants and was one of the first triathlons ever held in New England and the nation. McGillivray had competed in the 1980 Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii and brought the concept back to his native Northeast. A triathlete for years, McGillivray competed in eight Ironman triathlons and introduced the inspirational father-son team of Rick and Dick Hoyt to the sport. In January of 2011, he was inducted into the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame.

Triathlons were just the beginning for DMSE. As the group organized more athletic events, McGillivray and his staff quickly earned a reputation as detail minded, safety oriented and creative thinkers in the competitive arena of event management. In 1988, the B.A.A Boston Marathon noticed and appointed McGillivray technical director of the world-famous marathon, and in 2001 he was appointed race director – a title he still holds today. 

Picking Up Speed

As DMSE grew, McGillivray added to his team, hand picking the best in start and finish line management, lead vehicle programs, runner registration and results, while working with local volunteers, race committees and police and fire departments to create a smooth operation come race day. So when Olympic Gold Medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson had an idea for a road race in her hometown of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, she reached out to McGillivray and his team.  The TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K was launched in 1998 and is now among the most popular on the U.S. road race circuit, attracting some of the world’s fastest elite athletes and drawing rave reviews from participants.

Others noticed as well. From the Bellin Run in Green Bay, Wisconsin and the Lady Speed Stick® Women's Half Marathon Series throughout the U.S. to Run to Home Base at Fenway Park and Run For The Dream in Williamsburg, Va., a DMSE race is known for being safe, organized, technically advanced and produced without flaws. No wonder that in 2000, McGillivray and his team received the prestigious Race Director of the Year award from Road Race Management.  

Maintaining the Pace

In 2014, DMSE added another high-profile event to the portfolio as the team was brought on to manage the Across the Bay 10K in Annapolis, MD, which has had more than 20,000 runners in each of the first two years!

Philanthropy

DMSE Sports also is a pioneer in what is now one of the most important aspects of the athletic industry – combining athletics with philanthropy. Nearly every DMSE endeavor has that unbeatable combination of fitness and fundraising, giving back to the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston Children’s Hospital, Lazarus House, and many others.

Click here to get to know a bit about the staff.