DMSE Sports Returns for the 15th Year of Keeping the Falmouth Road Race Safe and Seamless
FALMOUTH, Mass. — The logistics of coordinating an over 11,400 person race with above 75,000 spectators is no small feat. The team who “run” the race so 11,400 people can be ensured to run a safe, well-organized race are nothing less than essential. One of the most well-oiled cogs in the massive machine of race day is DMSE Sports.
Led by Boston Marathon Director Dave McGillivray, he and his team have managed, consulted, and directed more than 1,400 events in over 40 years of business.
McGillivray started opening up a small running and sports store in Medford, Massachusetts, but when he discovered his true passion for events he sold the store and “put all my eggs in that one basket.” His vision for DMSE Sports went much deeper than being a race management team – to inspire self confidence and invest in philanthropy.
Races are significant fundraising events and becoming the expert operational assistance to bolster non-profits has become central to his mission as the business has grown. Beyond that, McGillivray believes in the positive power of racing events. “We create opportunities for people to feel good about themselves,” he says. “That is inevitably what happens to everyone who participates in these kinds of mass participatory and endurance events.”
The true medal at the end of the race is the pride and happiness that comes from the accomplishment, which he sees as the driving force for running. The Falmouth Road Race itself is one of the most outstanding opportunities for people to “feel good” that DMSE Sports has managed for the past 14 races.
“Our planning starts the day after the last race,” explains DMSE Sports CEO, Matt West. Their preparation is extensive and detail-oriented to ensure maximum safety and ease. Between 30 and 40 people come together on race day to execute a plan that has been in the making all year, and every team member has a dedicated role.
“We are sticklers for the concept of perfection,” describes McGillvray. “We are always searching for more efficient ways to give our clients and the participants the best experience possible.” Their creative problem-solving and refining over the past more than a dozen years has led to an air-tight race day plan.
“We’ve delegated to people we trust who can manage the plan even if we aren’t there,” says McGillivray. Some years, he’s even been able to hop in and run the Falmouth Road Race himself while leaving it in the hands of a team he trusts.
Race day begins before 4am for DMSE Sports. While McGillivray supervises the start line, CEO Matt West manages the logistics of the finish line. His tasks include closing the roads, working with the police, building out the finish line, raising the American flag, and making sure all the signage, volunteers, medical teams, and photographers are in place. “The race itself is the calmest part of the day,” West laughs. Breakdown begins the moment the last person crosses the finish line, which makes for a long day, “but it’s fun and exciting.”
“For me the best part is just the people we get to work with and meet,” West goes on. “The team is second to none, and it is really a family that has grown together to put on this event.” If the race management team is a family, then DMSE Sports is the glue that sticks the Falmouth Road Race to a seamless, safe experience year after year.
BY OLIVIA DEPUNTE