BOSTON-BASED RACE DIRECTOR DAVE MCGILLIVRAY PROVIDES EXPERTISE AT SUNDAY'S 60,000-RUNNER STANDARD CHARTERED MARATHON SINGAPORE

Renowned road race director from DMSE Sports brought in to oversee revamped Southeast Asia marathon event

SINGAPORE — A record-breaking 60,000 runners took part in the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2010 on Sunday with Boston-based Race Director Dave McGillivray of DMSE Sports providing expertise for the revamped event.

Marathon winners were Kenneth Mburu Mungara (2:14.32) and Irene Jerotich Kosgei (2:35.22), both of Kenya. They each collected $50,000 in prize money.

The event ran smoothly despite the immense logistical challenge of starting three different races – a marathon, half marathon and 10K – in three different locations, times and routes before crossing a common finish line in the city’s center.

The Singapore Sports Council (SSC) overhauled the marathon this year with a number of new initiatives, including new race routes past iconic Singapore landmarks and a revised prize structure, aimed at transforming the event into Asia’s top road race – eventually accommodating 100,000 runners.

In another key move, the SSC hired Dave McGillivray, the renowned, long-time director of the BAA Boston Marathon, to coordinate and oversee the race. The Singapore marathon marked the first foray into Southeast Asia for Boston area-based DMSE (www.dmsesports.com) and McGillivray, who has produced or consulted on more than 900 mass-participatory athletic events over 30 years.

McGillivray, who also directs the TD Bank Beach to Beacon in Maine, the Denver Marathon, and a number of other events throughout the region and across the nation, said the Singapore marathon easily ranks among the most challenging of his career.

“We faced a number of challenges and complexities with this event, but I couldn’t be more pleased with how it all worked out,” McGillivray said Sunday from Singapore. “The Singapore Sports Council along with all the Singapore public safety agencies and various city departments truly did an outstanding job. It was an honor to be involved with such an organized and prepared team."

He said the 5 a.m. start of the marathon meant runners, for the most part, avoided the heat and humidity. 

“Although the temperatures rose later in the morning, the runners experienced perhaps close to the best weather they could ever have hoped for here,” McGillivray said. “The finish area venue was amazing with activities for kids, massage therapists, entertainment, and VIP areas -- and there didn't seem to be any long lines even with accommodating over 60,000 runners. What was most noticeable to me was how each runner seemed to take on the personal responsibility necessary for this event go off smoothly.”

The three races were started at different points throughout the city by official starters from the country’s ministries and Parliament. The 20,000 runners in the marathon left at 5 a.m. from Orchard Road, Singapore’s retail and entertainment hub, passing under a flood of Christmas lights. The 15,000-runner half marathon began at the Sentosa Gateway and the 10K kicked off on the Esplanade Bridge.

The race routes took runners past Singapore’s other iconic landmarks, including Chinatown, Universal Studios Singapore and the Singapore Flyer, before merging to cross the finish at the historic Padang. Race results and more information is available at the race website at www.marathonsingapore.com.

Founded in 1981, DMSE Sports, Inc., located in North Andover, Mass., is a leader in sports event management, specializing in creating, marketing and producing mass participatory athletic events throughout the U.S. and abroad. McGillivray has produced or consulted on more than 900 mass-participatory athletic events throughout the world, including 23 Boston Marathons; the 2004 and 2008 USA Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials, the 1990 Triathlon World Championship, the 1998 Goodwill Games Triathlon, and the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. For more info, visit www.dmsesports.com.