It was just last month that we had a special guest speaker at the Quintiles Marathon – Dave McGillivary. Ironically, he is also the Boston Marathon Race Director.

Last night I was watching the events unfold in Boston. I saw the crowd cheer for the police, public safety, and for the victims. This reminded me when Dave told me to “SET GOALS, NOT LIMITS” “If you live Without Limits, anything is possible…all is takes is the desire to want to accomplish something, the will and guts to make the commitment to do it, the dedication to earn the right to do it and the acceptance of the sacrifices involved to succeed at it.”

All of us, who have participated in a marathon, whether as a runner or volunteer, have witnessed first-hand the positive impact these races have on a community.

What happened at the Boston Marathon was without-a-doubt a tragedy. However, we continue to witness resilience, compassion, sacrifice, and true humanity. Runners, volunteers, race officials and residents all RAN to where help was needed. Even after running 26.2 miles, runners continued running to give blood. When tragedy strikes, triumph will over power. When hate and evil come about, Love and friendship will prevail. The positive stories coming out of this tragedy continue to raise the human spirit to the next level of greatness.

Running has taught me so much in life from age 10 to now 29. Without running, I would not have met great people, I would not be as strong of a person, and would not have had the opportunity to start our own marathon here in Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach. I hope as we move forward, we don’t shrink from danger or hardship. Just like life, a marathon has its ups and downs, but crossing the finish line is the ultimate triumph.

Because of these triumphs and the moral fiber this sport attracts, The Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Marathon is proud and honored to present this $17,000.00 check to the Landfall Foundation. The foundation is our biggest beneficiary. We are grateful to be able to support the Landfall Foundation which benefits so many local causes. Knowing that our hometown race, directly benefits our own community is something we are very proud of. Giving these underfunded organizations a chance to set NEW GOALS AND NOT LIMITS and is what this is all about.

One thing I learned about Dave during his visit was that he was the first person to run across the U.S – 3,452 miles. Yet he was also the FIRST person to raise money for charity through running. Running events raise millions of dollars for charity today because of the amazing example Dave set. He instilled more motivation in me to continue to grow our Marathon and raise money for charity.