Westford Students Inspire Boston Marathon Race Director To Write Children's Book

WESTFORD (CBS) – Every Marathon Monday, Boston Athletic Association race director Dave McGillivray makes sure everything runs smoothly for the Boston Marathon

This year, McGillivray brought the marathon spirit to Westford's Abbot Elementary School for "mini-marathons" during the school's publishing day.

"The experience is really inspiring because I do track myself and it's really fun to see how he can run the Boston Marathon," Alexandra Jones. "He thinks it's really fun and maybe I would like to do it one day."

After visiting the school in November, McGillivray wrote a children's book inspired by the kids at the Abbot School. The book encourages young readers to chase their dreams

McGillivray's book, titled "The Last Pick"  is a reminder that anything is possible with just a little bit of determination and dedication.

"I always wanted to be one thing and one thing only and that was an athlete. But I was always picked last or cut from the team and it was difficult to stay motivated," McGillivray recalls. "That's why I started running cause no one can cut you from running."

After great feedback from last fall's presentation, Abbot's own reading specialist, Nancy Feehrer, encouraged McGillivray to write his own story.

"Nancy Feehrer here at the school was approached by a lot of the kids saying they enjoyed the talk and were motivated by it so she came up with the concept of writing a children's book," McGillivray said during a June visit to the school. "So she just took the bull by the horns and is making it happen so now we're back to introduce the manuscript."

The book is now in the publishing process. McGillivray hopes it will be released next year in time for Marathon Monday.