Anyone who’s ever seen Kevin McGuire unleash his blazing finishing kick knows he’s got guts. But it’s his big heart that really sets him apart.
In 2021, at age 55, the longtime construction worker underwent major surgery to donate one of his kidneys to a total stranger.
Kevin was picking up plans from a civil engineer’s office in Christiansburg when a newspaper on the waiting room table caught his eye. Inside was a photo of a Pulaski County woman in need of a kidney. He didn’t read the article then, just snapped a picture and showed it to his wife Lisa that night.
“She needed a kidney,” he said simply of the woman featured in the article. “If I needed one, I’d want someone to give me one.”
Though he underwent a series of tests and health screenings before getting cleared as a donor, Kevin said potential complications or the lengthy recovery time never crossed his mind.
On Feb. 4, 2021, Kevin underwent successful surgery at the UVa hospital in Charlottesville. Because of the strict COVID protocols in place at the time, Lisa couldn’t come inside the hospital with him.
Kevin’s kidney ultimately wasn’t a match for the woman in the photo, but through a donor swap program, he helped her receive a compatible kidney — and gave his to someone in Florida. Today, the woman from Pulaski County is 80 and healthy, and she and Kevin talk every month.
Kevin’s selfless spirit also drives his running. He doesn’t race to beat others — he races to be the best version of himself.
“I’m not a competitive person,” he says. “A competitive person wants to beat everyone else. I only want to do the best I can in a race and see where that lands with everyone else.”
And yet, in January, at the USATF Cross Country National Championships in Lubbock, Texas, Kevin did beat everyone else in his age group, winning the national title in the men’s 55-59 division and helping the Blacksburg Striders earn a team championship in the 50+ masters division.
Kevin and Lisa, who live in Radford, have two daughters and a granddaughter. In our Q&A below, Kevin talks about his return to running after a 30-year break, how CrossFit keeps him strong, and what it meant to share a finish line with his late brother. And he’s not done yet, with a world record in his sights next year.
You were a high school runner but then stepped away for decades. What brought you back to the sport? I started back running regularly when I turned 47 in order to lose 20 pounds — from 175 lbs to 155 lbs.
Did you ever imagine you’d be winning national titles in your late 50s? Absolutely not, I never had any intention of racing any at all until I ran a 5k to benefit my niece’s school and did pretty well at 18:45. Of course, I wouldn’t be able to race at all without Lisa, a wife who supports me in everything I do. She supports my running, she supported my kidney donation, everything.
Tell me about the USATF Cross Country Championships — what was that race day like for you? I definitely went there with one goal in mind. Helping our team to another National Championship. The field was light due to a rare snowstorm and it was very windy. Ignacio Moore thought that I could win my age group championship if I would let him block the wind and run behind him for most of the race. I won the championship but he did all the work. He sacrificed any time goals he had for himself to get me the win. (A true friend.)
That was your first plane ride in 30 years? What was it like traveling for a national championship? Yes, that is correct. Well that would be a very long answer. Let’s just say it was more of a team effort to get me there than it was running the race. Traveling was a lot more stressful. It definitely took 6 guys and a gal and a Starbucks gift card to get me there and back.
What did it mean to you to not only win your age group but to be part of the Blacksburg Striders 50+ team championship? Winning my age group was nice but our team winning means more to me. I have a few memories of the race but hundreds of the trip with you guys. At this point in my life I will put the memories ahead of the results.
What was your running like in high school, and how does it compare to how you approach training now? In school I wasn’t very dedicated to training at all. I did pretty well on natural ability and an active lifestyle. I enjoy my daily runs now. The steady training has definitely made me a better runner.
You’re not just a runner — you do a lot of CrossFit. How does that play into your running success? I believe the most decline in runners as they age is in muscle strength, CrossFit is good for strength and mobility.
What is your favorite race memory? Getting my brother to cross the finish line with me at the Pearisburg Eye Run two weeks before he passed away from cancer. He was only 54.
Do you have a favorite workout or go-to run when you’re getting ready for a race? There is a 11-mile run on the New River Trail that when I can tempo it, I’m ready to go.
You’ve worked in construction most of your life, at one time traveling extensively to build bridges. How do you manage to train at a high level while doing such a physically demanding job? Actually, all my life in construction. By the time I was 47 and running again I had moved far enough up the food chain that I only did the work I wanted to, so running wasn’t a problem. I think the hard work the previous years kept me primed to run when I wanted to.
What’s been the biggest surprise in your running journey? My running journey has certainly had its surprises. The biggest one being able to still run competitively after donating a kidney. I was certain that would have some negative effect on my running but it has not.
Do you have a running goal you’re still chasing? Yes. I will turn 60 in December and I would like to break the world record for the mile (4:49) in the 60-64 age group next year. I know that’s a lofty goal — that’s why it is worth chasing.
Favorite local race? The Draper Mile, with the Shawsville Fourth of July 5K being second. I like running down hill.
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