Rick Hoyt, the man whose father pushed him in a wheelchair for 32 years in the Boston Marathon, has died at the age of 61.
Hoyt died Monday from respiratory complications, his family announced on the Faceboook page for their charitable foundation.
“It is with profound sadness that the Hoyt Family announce the passing of our beloved brother and uncle, Rick Hoyt this morning,” the post read. “As so many knew, Rick along with our father, Dick, were icons in the road race and triathlon worlds for over 40 years and inspired millions of people with disabilities to believe in themselves, set goals and accomplish extraordinary things.”
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The father-and-son team began running races in 1977, competing in more than 1,000 marathons, duathlons and triathlons, according to the Team Hoyt website. In a custom racing chair, Rick — who had cerebral palsy that left him a quadriplegic — told his father that running in the race made him feel like his disability disappeared, Dick told HBO’s “Real Sports” in 2005.
The pair participated in their first Boston Marathon in 1980 and became fixtures in the annual April race until their last race in 2014.
“Rick and Dick Hoyt were true icons of the Boston Marathon and together, they inspired people far beyond the borders of Massachusetts,” Gov. Maura Healey tweeted.
Dick Hoyt died in March 2021 at the age of 80.
