My good friend and running partner, Bob Hall, passed away on April 12, 2026. Bob had been sick for a while now and was fighting multiple bouts of pneumonia and other ailments. Last year, we all celebrated Bob’s 50th anniversary of being the first person to push a wheelchair in the Boston Marathon. It was so great to see him again, and even more so to see him at the finish line of the race, presenting me with my finisher’s medal.
I’ll never forget that moment. Bob and I worked on the Boston Marathon together in the late 1980’s, helping to develop the wheelchair division and how it was all handled at the start, along the course, and at the finish. Bob and I ran 1,520 miles up the East Coast of the country from Winter Haven, FL, to Boston back in 1980 for the Jimmy Fund of Boston.
We averaged over 40 miles per day. We were even invited into the White House to visit with President Jimmy Carter in the Oval Office and then to the Capitol to visit with Speaker Tip O’Neil. And, we of course finished the trek at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.
Bob was tough as nails and endured all kinds of weather and traffic challenges along the way. He was THE pioneer of wheelchair racing in America and perhaps the world. Bob was in the hospital for the past 6 weeks and would regularly call me just to have a friendly conversation. Sometimes he would call me 2 or 3 times a day, and I enjoyed our conversations so much.
He will be forever remembered as an icon in our sport and to me a dear friend and running inspiration.
Rest in peace, Bob,
Dave McGillivary
