Remembering Dick Hoyt and Rick Hoyt goes hand in hand with Marathon Monday every year. So let’s look back at the two local legends.
Rick Hoyt was born in 1962. He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth. This was the ’60s, so doctors suggested his parents, Dick and Judy, institutionalize him.
They said no. They had seen Rick’s eyes following them around the room. They new he’d be able to communicate someday and lead as good of a life as he was able to.
“Someday” came when Rick turned 11. At Dick and Judy’s insistence, their son was fitted with a computer that would allow him to communicate. Rick was off to school.
In 1977, Rick asked his dad if they could run a benefit race together. It was for a classmate of Rick’s who had become paralyzed. Dick said yes, and Team Hoyt was born.
Remembering Dick Hoyt: Boston Marathon Legend, Best Dad Ever
Dick Hoyt was 36 in 1977. A retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Air National Guard, he was fit, but he was no runner. That was about to change. He was about to become a runner.
Dick ran that first race with Rick, who famously said: “Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.” So began their long run of runs as Team Hoyt.
Over the years, Dick and Rick ran everything from 5Ks to marathons to Ironman Triathalons together. The competed in the Boston Marathon over 30 times.
And that’s what we’re here for. Remembering Dick Hoyt, his love for his son Rick, and their legacy. I have fond memories of seeing the pair run through Kenmore Square on Marathon Monday.
So let’s look back together on a Boston Marathon institution. Team Hoyt, Dick and Rick together, running the marathon route year after year, inspiring generations of runners and Bostonians.
