Dick Hoyt, 1940-2021
March 18, 2021 8:51 AM Subscribe
The Boston Marathon/triathlon legend and one half of Team Hoyt has passed away. Together, Team Hoyt completed 234 triathlons, 67 marathons, and 6 Ironmans.
Team Hoyt:
In the spring of 1977, Rick 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. Far from being a long-distance runner, Dick agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair and they finished all 5 miles, coming in next to last. That night, Rick told his father, “Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.”
This realization was just the beginning of what would become over 1,000 races completed, including marathons, duathlons and triathlons (6 of them being Ironman competitions). Also adding to their list of achievements, Dick and Rick biked and ran across the U.S. in 1992, completing a full 3,735 miles in 45 days.
In a triathlon, Dick will pull Rick in a boat with a bungee cord attached to a vest around his waist and to the front of the boat for the swimming stage. For the biking stage, Rick will ride a special two-seater bicycle, and then Dick will push Rick in his custom made running chair (for the running stage).
Boston Athletic Association tribute thread. Another great thread.
Team Hoyt:
In the spring of 1977, Rick 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. Far from being a long-distance runner, Dick agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair and they finished all 5 miles, coming in next to last. That night, Rick told his father, “Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.”
This realization was just the beginning of what would become over 1,000 races completed, including marathons, duathlons and triathlons (6 of them being Ironman competitions). Also adding to their list of achievements, Dick and Rick biked and ran across the U.S. in 1992, completing a full 3,735 miles in 45 days.
In a triathlon, Dick will pull Rick in a boat with a bungee cord attached to a vest around his waist and to the front of the boat for the swimming stage. For the biking stage, Rick will ride a special two-seater bicycle, and then Dick will push Rick in his custom made running chair (for the running stage).
Boston Athletic Association tribute thread. Another great thread.
I'm in reasonable shape and something of a hack runner myself - 5Ks 3x week and the occasional event run for the t-shirt. I've done 2 half-marathons in the past few years. Before that I was into cycling and did a couple of centuries.
The idea of even training for a full Ironman blows my mind. I know other folks my age who've done it and the training regimen is hard stuff, and it sure doesn't get easier with age (I just turned 50 as a point of reference).
But the idea of finishing 6, along with everything else...it's frankly staggering.
posted by jquinby at 9:42 AM on March 18, 2021 [3 favorites]
The idea of even training for a full Ironman blows my mind. I know other folks my age who've done it and the training regimen is hard stuff, and it sure doesn't get easier with age (I just turned 50 as a point of reference).
But the idea of finishing 6, along with everything else...it's frankly staggering.
posted by jquinby at 9:42 AM on March 18, 2021 [3 favorites]
He was a legend.
The Marathon runs though my town and I remember seeing the Hoyts for the first time when I was a kid, probably in that first 1980 race. There were a couple years they didn't run but most of the time they're a fixture and always get huge cheers. A few years ago I snapped a picture of some guy in a superman costume shaking Dick's hand as he ran past. I managed to track down the guy in the costume (based on bib # and a bit of googling) and sent him the photo. It was like I was giving him a photo of him with the Pope or Elvis or something. He was thrilled to have a shot of him and his hero. Dick was a hero and a legend to a lot of people.
I am very saddened to think about Rick no longer having his dad to push him. Hopefully someone will take over for Dick.
posted by bondcliff at 10:42 AM on March 18, 2021 [5 favorites]
The Marathon runs though my town and I remember seeing the Hoyts for the first time when I was a kid, probably in that first 1980 race. There were a couple years they didn't run but most of the time they're a fixture and always get huge cheers. A few years ago I snapped a picture of some guy in a superman costume shaking Dick's hand as he ran past. I managed to track down the guy in the costume (based on bib # and a bit of googling) and sent him the photo. It was like I was giving him a photo of him with the Pope or Elvis or something. He was thrilled to have a shot of him and his hero. Dick was a hero and a legend to a lot of people.
I am very saddened to think about Rick no longer having his dad to push him. Hopefully someone will take over for Dick.
posted by bondcliff at 10:42 AM on March 18, 2021 [5 favorites]
.
posted by JoeXIII007 at 10:54 AM on March 18, 2021
posted by JoeXIII007 at 10:54 AM on March 18, 2021
Wow. I never did the marathon, but I ran several road races with them back when I was a young hotshot, and I remember being amazed at how fast they were. Truly the passing of a legend.
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posted by tom_r at 11:14 AM on March 18, 2021
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posted by tom_r at 11:14 AM on March 18, 2021
The Hoyts are in the pantheon of fêted Ironman competitors. "Go Bruins!"
. . .
posted by k3ninho at 11:55 AM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
. . .
posted by k3ninho at 11:55 AM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
Is Rick unable to communicate or just deep in mourning? Feels a little weird to read an article about Dick's death without a quote from Rick.
posted by BrotherCaine at 12:14 PM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by BrotherCaine at 12:14 PM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
Oh, never mind, he does have communication problems.
posted by BrotherCaine at 12:15 PM on March 18, 2021
posted by BrotherCaine at 12:15 PM on March 18, 2021
Closest I've found is this bit from the AP report:
Russ and his other brother, Rob, broke the news to Rick.
“He’s sad, as we all are, but he’s OK,” Russ said. “You could see it in him, it was like someone hit him.”
posted by jquinby at 12:23 PM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
Russ and his other brother, Rob, broke the news to Rick.
“He’s sad, as we all are, but he’s OK,” Russ said. “You could see it in him, it was like someone hit him.”
posted by jquinby at 12:23 PM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
We overuse the term icon these days, but the Hoyts were absolutely iconic, and Dick Hoyt was a genuine hero.
posted by briank at 1:05 PM on March 18, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by briank at 1:05 PM on March 18, 2021 [2 favorites]
. "Dad, I feel better when we're running" becomes "then we'll run for as long as we can." Echoing briank, iconic.
posted by adekllny at 2:11 PM on March 18, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by adekllny at 2:11 PM on March 18, 2021 [2 favorites]
Truly iconic, in fact, and for so long a heartwarming tradition of the marathon.
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posted by rmd1023 at 3:46 PM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
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posted by rmd1023 at 3:46 PM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
I remember watching the Ironman growing up. It was just one of those things that would pop up on a weekend afternoon when there weren't other sports to watch, and it just became something I'd end up watching every time it popped up over the years. Obviously, the Hoyts always stuck out, though I had forgotten their names years ago. Seeing this post, though, I knew who it was immediately. 80 years is a long, good life, and decades of being an example of dedication to family, too. Godspeed.
posted by Ghidorah at 4:20 PM on March 18, 2021
posted by Ghidorah at 4:20 PM on March 18, 2021
Oh, man. This one hurts.
Rick Hoyt communicates quite clearly using an adaptive computer, much the way Stephen Hawking did; his disability would not prevent him from making a statement about his father's death should he choose.
posted by jesourie at 4:50 PM on March 18, 2021 [4 favorites]
Rick Hoyt communicates quite clearly using an adaptive computer, much the way Stephen Hawking did; his disability would not prevent him from making a statement about his father's death should he choose.
posted by jesourie at 4:50 PM on March 18, 2021 [4 favorites]
🏃♂️
posted by Ink-stained wretch at 9:46 PM on March 22, 2021
posted by Ink-stained wretch at 9:46 PM on March 22, 2021
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