Rick Hoyt, who inspired the nation as he and his father competed in numerous races that included the Boston Marathon, has died at the age of 61, according to the Hoyt Foundation.
“It is with profound sadness that the Hoyt Family announce the passing of our beloved brother and uncle, Rick Hoyt this morning,” the Hoyt family said in a statement on Monday afternoon.
Pushed in a specialized wheelchair by his father, Dick, Rick Hoyt was quadriplegic and had cerebral palsy, and from 1977 to 2014, competed in more than a thousand races as a father-son duo, including duathlons and triathlons according to Team Hoyt’s website.
In 2013, a statue of the father and son from Holland, Mass., was erected in front of a school in Hopkinton, near the Boston Marathon’s starting line. By Monday night, at least one mourner had placed flowers on the statue following Rick’s death.
While Dick Hoyt retired from running in 2014, Rick continued to be a part of the Boston Marathon, being pushed by Billerica’s Bryan Lyons before Lyons died in 2020. Dick Hoyt passed away at age 80 in 2021.
“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,” the family’s statement read. “Rick was also a pioneer in education. His mother Judy Hoyt changed the laws allowing her son to be educated alongside his non-disabled peers. His family is heartbroken and requests time to grieve and will share details as they become available.”
In its own statement, the Boston Athletic Association said Rick Hoyt would always be remembered as a “Boston Marathon icon” and for “personifying the ‘Yes You Can’ mentality that defined Team Hoyt.”
“We are fortunate to have been able to call Rick a friend, mentor, pioneer, and Boston Marathon finisher. His legacy will live on through the Rick & Dick Hoyt Award, which is presented each April around the Boston Marathon to someone who exhibits the spirit of Team Hoyt through advocacy and inclusion,” the organization said. “Our thoughts go out to the Hoyt family, Rick’s many friends, and all who were touched by his positivity.”
7NEWS also spoke with longtime Boston Marathon Race Director Dave McGillivray on Monday, who shared his thoughts after Rick’s passing.
“Sixty-one years of giving inspiration to people all over the world and all over the country,” he said. “That’s pretty amazing.”
“If you’re passionate enough about something, if you earn the right, if you set goals and not limits, you can accomplish anything in your life and those two combined did just that,” he continued.
Most recently, Rick was serving as a race director for a 5k race honoring his father. The event was scheduled to have its inaugural run this upcoming weekend. The Hoyt family has said they will discuss whether the race will go on as planned or be postponed in the coming days.
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