Boston Marathon Legends Rick and Dick Hoyt Remembered on the ‘Today’ Show

When I was a kid (and long before the town was plagued by "stressful" pickleball controversies), we’d go each spring to Wellesley, Massachusetts, to visit family and watch the Boston Marathon.

I had no idea who the elite runners were, so I’d look for Marathon legend Bill Rodgers (the guy who used to run in a gorilla mask) and the legendary Rick and Dick Hoyt.

The Hoyts were a father-son duo who typically got the biggest pop from the crowd. Rick was born with cerebral palsy in 1962, and his father would push him the entire length of the Marathon in his wheelchair. The duo appeared in each Marathon from 1981 until 2014.

Sadly, Rick Hoyt passed away last week at 61, two years after Dick passed away at age 80. But their story was so inspirational, it recently received national recognition.

Rick and Dick were honored on the Sunday Today show’s “Life Well Lived” segment, which focused on the origins of Team Hoyt, including some truly heart-wrenching “advice” Dick and his wife Judy received from a doctor soon after Rick’s birth and diagnosis.

The segment also shares some amazing footage from the Hoyt’s other accomplishments, including their Ironman heroics and Judy’s advocacy. You can watch the segment in full below.

The Hoyt Foundation continues to operate, with the mission statement:

“The Hoyt Foundation aspires 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.”

To learn more about the Foundation, and its “Yes You Can” Grants for inclusion, check out its official website.