Rick Hoyt, a beloved Boston Marathoner who became an inspiration for others with disabilities as he competed in his wheelchair, pushed by his father, died Monday morning. He was 61.
In a statement posted Monday, The Hoyt Foundation said Rick died due to complications with his respiratory system.
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He’d just appeared at events days ago so the death came as a surprise to his family.
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“We think what happened is about three years ago he had a strong battle with pneumonia,” explained Russ Hoyt, Rick's brother. “I think it took a lot more out of him than we realized and I think his body just gave out.”
Rick had cerebral palsy that left him as a quadriplegic, though that never stopped him.
“It didn’t affect his intelligence or his wit or anything else,” said Russ. “It just made it so his muscles didn’t work and that’s what Dad provided for him. Dad always said ‘Rick was the heart, I was just the motor’.”
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Rick and his father Dick Hoyt raced the Boston Marathon more than 30 times. They were fixtures of the finish line.
“It was his lifeblood,” said Russ. “He just enjoyed it so much.”
According to the Hoyt Foundation website, the legacy began in 1977 when Rick told his father he wanted to participate in a 5-mile fundraising run for an athlete who had been paralyzed in an accident. Dick pushed his son all five miles.
“It was just something that made him feel alive,” said Russ. “His first race afterwards he got on his computer and spelled out ‘Dad, when I’m running it feels like my disability disappears’.”
Thus Team Hoyt was born. Their first race would lead to over a thousand races in all, from marathons to Ironmans. The 2009 Boston Marathon was their milestone thousandth race.
The family would eventually start a nonprofit called The Hoyt Foundation in 1989 with the goal of making the world more inclusive for those living with disabilities, especially concerning sports, at home, in schools and in the workplace, the website notes. Money raised by the organization gives back by supporting inclusion efforts for other families who have a child with disabilities.
The Hoyts were a force—running, biking, and swimming–but it was the Boston Marathon that made them local favorites.
“People would wait to see the Hoyts,” said Dave McGillivray, the race director of the Boston Marathon and other events that the Hoyts participated in. “They were the fabric, they were in the DNA of the Boston Marathon.”
In 2013, a statue of father and son was erected near the Boston Marathon’s starting line in Hopkinton. Their last Boston Marathon was supposed to be the race that year, but they were unable to finish it because of the deadly bombing near the finish line, so they returned in 2014.
The father and son pair also participated in more than 1,000 other races, including duathlons and triathlon. In 1992, according to the foundation, they completed a run and bike across the U.S. that covered 3,735 miles in 45 days.
The Boston Athletic Association released a statement Monday extending its heartfelt condolences to the Hoyt family and all those who were touched by Rick's positivity over the years.
"Rick Hoyt will 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," the B.A.A. wrote, adding that Rick was a 36-time 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."
Tributes poured in Monday for Rick, including from former Boston mayor Marty Walsh who shared a touching message on Twitter, remembering Rick as an "icon and inspiration to everyone who had the privilege to witness him persevere and overcome obstacles that others would consider insurmountable."
"Boston will miss you, Rick, but your legacy will live on forever."
Mass. Gov. Maura Healey also shared a statement on Twitter Monday night, calling Rick and Dick "true icons of the Boston Marathon."
"Together, they inspired people far beyond the borders of Massachusetts," the governor wrote. "This is an enormous loss. My heart goes out to the Hoyts and the entire Boston sports family."
Other tributes on social media came from the Boston sports community, including the Bruins and Red Sox, both sharing pictures of the Hoyts at their respective venues.
"Rick Hoyt is an inspiration and a true marathon icon. We are honored to have known him," the Red Sox wrote on Twitter. "Team Hoyt is forever a part of the Boston sports family. 💙💛"
The Bruins said they joined the Boston sports community in mourning the Boston Marathon icon's death and they extend their condolences to the Hoyt family. The Patriots also shared a similar tweet
Rick, along with Dick, inspired millions of people with disabilities to believe in themselves, set goals and accomplish extraordinary things, the Hoyt family said Monday.
Rick left a legacy both on the race course and off.
The family says he was also a pioneer in education and credits mom Judy with pushing to change laws to allow for Rick to go to school with his non-disabled peers.
"He always ended every presentation with two things. He would say ‘please remember these two things. I love you all, and yes you can.’ So Rick’s love went out to everybody," Russ shared. "And if anybody ever thinks there’s something in life that’s too difficult and they can’t do it, Rick’s answer would be think about it and tell yourself yes you can."
Russ Hoyt says after their father died in 2021, Rick became the patriarch of the family.
“He was my big brother,” said Russ. “When I needed to make a big decision in my life I went to him.”
“It’s hard to believe they both have now passed on but their legacy will never die. Dick and Rick Hoyt have inspired millions around the world,” said McGillivray. “We will always be grateful, Rick, for your courage, determination, tenacity and willingness to give of yourself so that others, too, could believe in themselves, set goals and make a difference in this world as you have.”
Team Hoyt still runs the Boston Marathon each year and hosts its own events. A Dick Hoyt Memorial "Yes You Can" Road Race was scheduled for this Saturday, though it's now up in the air after the news of Rick's death.
"His family is heartbroken and requests time to grieve and will share details as they become available," the family said in its statement.
For more information on Team Hoyt and the Hoyt Foundation, click here.
