Boardman man, 60, will run 62-mile race
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By AMANDA C. DAVIS
Correspondent
BOARDMAN -- Dan Gallagher was in his 50s, 40 pounds heavier and not in top form when he decided to run the Nashville marathon in 2018 with family members.
Thousands of miles later, Gallagher, 60, says he caught the running "bug" and is in better shape than he's been in years.
"Everybody raised an eyebrow," he said, explaining the reaction he got when he told family of his plans.
Since that time, Gallagher has completed 14 full marathons, 20 half-marathons and one ultra marathon.
On Oct. 10-11, Gallagher will take on a 24-hour endurance run in Cape Fear, North Carolina. The 100K race is a little more than 62 miles long.
"I always like to challenge myself," he said, noting he completed 45 miles in the same race in 2024, while the winner ran 134 miles during that time.
To prepare, Gallagher has logged nearly 1,400 miles of running and biking since April.
"I don't always feel great at the time, but that's what it's all about," he said. "I feel great when I'm done."
Gallagher grew up, one of eight kids, in western Pennsylvania. He was a history major and played basketball at Grove City College, graduating in 1988.
He went to work for Westfield Insurance Co. in Akron and was assigned to work in the Youngstown office.
He met his wife, Cindy, a nurse at St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital, and never left the area.
They married in 1990 and have three children -- Ryan in Austin, Texas, Meghan Benson of Poland and Kyle of Boardman, as well as two grandchildren.
Gallagher was accepted into grad school after college, but put it off because of marriage, kids and career, but he said he wouldn't change any decision he's made.
As he gets older, Gallagher said, he wants to stay in shape to maximize his quality of life.
"I want to be as healthy as I can be for my kids and my grandkids," he added.
Gallagher works what he calls his "perfect preretirement job" at Frito Lay in Cranberry, Pa. He also has worked in the insurance industry and is former owner of Creekside Beverage in Canfield.
Once he and his wife decide to retire, Gallagher said he plans to stay active through running, biking, traveling, reading and visiting his kids.
He joked that if one day he decides, like Forrest Gump, to just stop running, he "hopes I'm not 20 miles away from home if that happens."
Former Boardman Schools Superintendent Tim Saxton met Gallagher at Grove City through his roommate, who was also on the basketball team.
Saxton and Gallagher graduated college together and over the years, lost touch.
Saxton said he walked into Creekside one day and was surprised to see his old college buddy at the helm.
The two realized they lived about a quarter of a mile from each other.
"I'm pretty sure he runs past my house every day," Saxton said, explaining his friend was always focused, driven and genuine.
"I'm a big Dan Gallagher fan," he said.
After major surgery in 2014, Gallagher said a Pittsburgh surgeon told him he should stop running. A local surgeon encouraged him to continue.
"I take off one day a week," Gallagher said. "The other six days, I either run or bike."
A few years ago, during a race in Lake Placid, New York, Gallagher felt a "pop" with 24 miles to go and realized he pulled his hamstring.
"I finished and it was not easy," he said, explaining he walked quite a bit on his way to the finish line. "That was a rough one."
Gallagher said he hates running in extreme heat and will sometimes start a run at 3 a.m., taking a flashlight to illuminate the path.
Long distance running is every bit a mental challenge as it is physical, he said.
During the race, Gallagher said he will stay hydrated and motivated with water, Gatorade, Gu energy gel and an iPod full of 70s and 80s music.
"I'm not fast, but I don't quit," he said. "I will finish."