Boston Marathon Legend Rick Hoyt Dead At 61

BOSTON, MA — Rick Hoyt, the iconic Boston Marathon athlete who was pushed in his wheelchair by his father Dick for more than four decades, died Monday morning, his family announced in a statement through 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 family wrote, adding that Hoyt suffered complications with his respiratory system.

“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 statement continued. "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.”

The family said that they had yet to make a decision about whether the previously-planned Dick Hoyt Memorial "Yes You Can" Road Race scheduled for Saturday in Hopkinson will be postponed.

Rick Hoyt was quadriplegic and had cerebral palsy, and from 1977 to 2014, competed in more than a thousand races as part of a father-son duo, including duathlons and triathlons, according to Team Hoyt’s website. Dick Hoyt died in March 2021 at age 80.

In the spring of 1977, Rick Hoyt told his father that he wanted to participate in a 5-mile benefit run for a lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Dick Hoyt agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair and they finished all 5 miles, after which Rick told his father, “Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.”

Formed in 1989, the Hoyt Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization with a mission to build the individual character, self-confidence and self-esteem of America’s disabled young people through inclusion in all facets of daily life; including in family and community activities, especially sports, at home, in schools, and in the workplace, the organization states on its website.

Each year, the Hoyt family "shows the world how to do this by speaking before community and professional groups, and by direct participation in many road races, triathlons and other endurance events," the mission statement continues. "The Foundation also provides advice and support to groups and individuals who share this mission."