Harold standing in front of his trio of pictures from the 1980 Ironman.

Harold Gabriel was raised in Roxbury, MA, and joined the Army when he was 17 years old. Honorably discharged after three years of service, he then attended The Stenotype Institute in Boston where he completed his training in a record 13 months! 

He soon met his wife, moved to Newton, MA, and started Gabriel Court Reporting which he owned and operated for 35 years. 

During his time with the agency, he would invite his attorney clients along on various outings, such as white water rafting, climbing Mt. Washington, and even hiking up Mt. Whitney and then proceeding to bike across Death Valley. 

In addition to his past physical accomplishments – competing at the Ironman in Hawaii in 1980 (finishing 17th at age 38) and 1982 (finishing 21st at age 40), running the Boston Marathon for almost 25 years, taking part in a swim from Alcatraz, and many other amazing and newsworthy events – he mentors and trains athletes at his local YMCA in distance running and triathlons. 

In 1999, with his eyes on retirement, he sold his business to one of his up-and-coming reporters, Kathryn Sweeney, and continues to be a trusted mentor and consultant to her in the management of the now named Gabriel & Sweeney Court Reporting. 

Blessed and cursed with energy, he started a dog walking business and became actively involved in civil rights – both of which remain his passions to this day. 

Harold and his wife of almost 60 years, Elaine, still live in Newton, MA. Their two kids and four  grandchildren reside close by. 

Favorite quote: “The anxiety is unbearable. I only hope it lasts forever.” – Oscar Wilde 

Harold with a quilt that was made for him out of t-shirts from the Boston Marathon and his own 10K Road Race he organized for many years.

Link to article about the Hal Gabriel Birthday 10K which went from 1976 to 1981 

“His normal routine looked like waking up, then training by 6 a.m., then going to court all day where he worked as a court stenographer, then afterwards, he’d work out again at the YMCA before going to  bed at 2 a.m.” 

Link to article about Hal and John Lewis – “When Two Legends Collide”  

Quote from above article: 

“He is the man, the myth, the legend,” says Dave McGillivray, a good friend who is the race director of the Boston Marathon. “There is no one else like Hal on the planet Earth or beyond.”