Club History Retold by Member Dave Breeden - Installment #3

John McGarry
Jul 10
3 min read

Dave and Diane Breeden: Celebrating 25 Years with GDTC

Dave and Diane Breeden are proud members of our “25-year club.” Diane hails from Massachusetts, while Dave was born in Illinois. After high school, Dave joined the Navy, where he began his long journey of service and adventure. The two met in Vermont, fell in love, and have now been married for an impressive 42 years. They have a son and a daughter, both born in the 1980s.

Dave built his career in technology, starting as a field service electrical engineer for Varian Semiconductor, eventually becoming their field service coordinator. After earning his degree from UMass Lowell, he worked as a technical writer for DEC, until he was laid off during the company’s decline—a twist that brought him back to Varian Semiconductor.

Did You Know?

Dave was once a serious bowler. He bowled on the All-Navy team and rolled the first perfect 300 game in Pearl Harbor. At one point, he was ranked #2 out of 10,000 bowlers in Virginia and was a city champion in both Portland and Vermont. His Vermont team even set an all-state scoring record.

A knee injury ended his bowling days, but it led him to pick up running—an unusual switch that started with walking around 1995 or 1996. One of his early routes was on Lane Road. Around 1999, drawn by GDTC’s track workouts (when Peter Derez was club president), he joined the club. Later, he helped with the Kids Summer Fun Runs, and continued under new president Rich DiSalvo.

One of Dave’s first running buddies was Maureen Knepp. He recalls his first 5K being the Foot Health 5K around Beaver Lake, which was once a GDTC race.

Mack’s Apples

Dave timed the Mack’s Apples race for all 25 years it was held, working closely with Eldon, who directed it.

Boston Prep (BP)

Though Dave didn’t start Boston Prep—founders Mike Beeman and Jeff Litchfield did—he’s been deeply involved for decades. Originally, the race started at the East Derry Fire Station and finished on Lane Road, staging out of the Boys & Girls Club. After GDTC was asked to move out, the finish line shifted to West Running Brook School.

Dave ran his first BP in a snowstorm. The very next year, he took over as race director and had to battle the town to keep the race alive. Julie Moore, a club member and attorney, helped advocate for the event. Over time, the BP grew to nearly 1,000 participants.

Dave has directed many races, including serving as co-race director and course manager of the Manchester Marathon for ten years, until it was sold to another timing company.

Race Timing Business

Dave’s love of numbers (he minored in Accounting and Finance) led him to race timing. After working with Baystate Timing, he started his own business with fellow club member and past president Jim Ewell. Over the last 20 years, Dave estimates he’s timed over 1,000 races up and down the East Coast. The toughest? Ironman triathlons, where the timing day can stretch to 20 hours!

Accomplishments

Dave served as GDTC president for a few years, succeeding Rich DiSalvo. His personal running achievements include completing twelve marathons, starting with his first at age 49, and racing 5Ks at a 7-minute pace.

Running clearly runs in the family: his son Dana was also a strong runner and triathlete, finishing four Ironmans. Dana once led the Millennium Mile for the first quarter—chasing the prize money—before realizing there was still another three-quarters to go!

A Difficult Memory

Dave’s toughest moment with GDTC came in his second year directing Boston Prep, when a runner tragically passed away at the finish. Despite immediate help from medical professionals on-site, they couldn’t save him. Dave and several club members attended the wake. Although the incident brought some negative press, the running community stood by the club with understanding and support.

How the Club Has Changed

Dave reflects that while GDTC is even more organized now—with lots of enthusiasm—it still has the same wonderful camaraderie. There’s always someone to run with, and that spirit hasn’t changed.