In 1978, McGillivray gained recognition for his athleticism when he ran across the U.S. from
Medford, Oregon, to his hometown of
Medford, Massachusetts. Over the course of 80 days, he ran a distance of 3,452 miles, averaging 45–50 miles a day for the majority of the journey. He culminated his cross-America run by running into in
Fenway Park in Boston. His effort raised funds for the
Jimmy Fund and
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. In 1980, McGillivray completed several athletic endeavors. • His Wrentham State School 24-Hour Run traversed 120 miles in 24 hours through 31 communities in southeastern Massachusetts, ending in Foxboro Stadium at halftime of a
New England Patriots game. It was held to benefit the Wrentham State School, and the event raised more than $10,000 for the handicapped. • He ran the East Coast Run to once again benefit the Jimmy Fund. From
Winter Haven, Florida, to
Boston, Massachusetts, McGillivray ran 1,520 miles and was joined by
Robert Hall, a pioneer of
wheelchair marathoning. While in
Washington, D.C., the duo met with President
Jimmy Carter at the
White House. • He entered his first Hawaii
Ironman Triathlon. He finished 14th in the competition, and was the 30th person to have ever completed an Ironman, an individual endurance event consisting of three back-to-back distance events: a 2.4 mile rough, open ocean water swim, followed by a 112-mile bike race and finishing up with a 26.2-mile marathon run He would go on to complete eight more Hawaii Ironmans over his career. In 1981, McGillivray: • Ran in the
Empire State Building Run-Up, an 86-story, 1,575-step run. He placed 10th overall with a time of 13 minutes, 27 seconds. • Ran the Boston Marathon in 3:14 while blindfolded and being escorted by two guides to raise $10,000 for the Carroll Center for the Blind in
Newton, Massachusetts. • A year later he swam more than seven miles from Martha's Vineyard to
Falmouth, Massachusetts, raising funds for the Jimmy Fund. • He formed the first sanctioned running club inside a maximum security institution at
Walpole State Prison in Massachusetts. He conducted and ran in numerous distance races inside the prison yard, including completing and winning a full 26.2 mile marathon against inmates. During the rest of the 1980s, he continued to combine his love of athletic endeavors and fundraising for charity. • In 1983, he completed 24-hour swim in the Olympic-size Medford High School pool, which totaled 1,884 lengths and covering 27 miles, again raising funds for the Jimmy Fund. • Also in 1983, McGillivray cycled more than 1,000 miles throughout six New England states in 14 days to raise money for a scholarship fund for his alma mater, Merrimack College. • In 1986, McGillivray biked again for 24 consecutive hours around a five-mile loop course in Medford, Massachusetts while simultaneously directing the annual Bay State Triathlon being held on the course at the same time. He covered a total of 385 miles, again raising money for the Jimmy Fund. As of January 2026, McGillivray has completed: • 173 full marathons, including 53 consecutive Boston Marathons • An 80-day trek across the United States, running the 3,452 miles from Medford, Ore., to Medford, Mass. • the World Marathon Challenge, which consists of seven marathons in seven days on seven continents • ten Ironman Triathlon World Championships • a 1,250 mile run along the U.S. East Coast in 1980 to again benefit the Jimmy Fund, • a 24-hour run (120 miles) a 24-hour bike (385 miles), and a 24-hour swim (27 miles) • a triathlon around the six New England states by swimming one mile, biking 80 miles and running 20 miles every day for 32 consecutive days • more than 150,000 running miles over the course of his life == Professional life ==