Dick Hoyt Named Grand Marshal for Boston Marathon
Team HoytÛªs Dick Hoyt Named Grand Marshal of the 2015 Boston Marathon
Along with son Rick, Dick Hoyt Completed 32 Boston Marathons. Lisa Rainsberger to be Honorary Starter of Elite WomenÛªs Race.
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BOSTON ÛÒ The Boston Athletic Association
(B.A.A.) announced today that Dick Hoyt of Team Hoyt will be the Grand
Marshal of the 2015 Boston Marathon® on Monday, April 20. Two of the
Boston MarathonÛªs most recognizable figures, Dick and son
Rick Hoyt completed their 32nd and final Boston Marathon together in
2014. Dick announced afterwards that he would retire from the Boston
Marathon.
Dick and Rick Hoyt first ran from Hopkinton to
Boston in 1980. In the three decades since, both father and son have
inspired countless participants and spectators with their unrelenting
will power, determination, and incredible bond. Since
2008, Boston Marathon Principal Sponsor John Hancock has been proud to
serve as a corporate sponsor of Team Hoyt, supporting Dick and RickÛªs
inspirational example.
ÛÏYear after year, Dick and Rick Hoyt toed the
starting line in Hopkinton to celebrate the Boston Marathon, showing
millions of runners and spectators they could achieve anything and that
there are no limits,Û said Tom Grilk, Executive Director
of the Boston Athletic Association. ÛÏAlthough he will not be racing
this year, Dick will continue to be at the head of the field, leading
30,000 runners on their trek to Boston. Dick and Rick Hoyt will forever
be synonymous with the Boston Marathon and the
sport of running.Û
Rick was born a spastic quadriplegic with
cerebral palsy, unable to walk or talk. When Rick was 15, he asked Dick
to push him in a five-mile road race to benefit a local
recently-paralyzed lacrosse player. Since then, the Hoyts have competed
in more than 1,000 road races, marathons, and triathlons, father
pushing son in a specialized wheelchair. Team HoytÛªs 1,000th race
together came at the 2009 Boston Marathon.
Rick will again participate in the Boston Marathon, this year pushed by fellow Team Hoyt athlete Bryan Lyons.
Dick, 74, and Rick, 53, had planned for the 2013
Boston Marathon to be their final race as a duo. In response to the
tragic events of April 2013, the pair resolved to run Boston one more
time in honor of those who were most affected. On
April 21, 2014, the Hoyts crossed the finish line with nearly 20
members of Team Hoyt, the organization they created to help those who
are physically disabled become active members of the community. In 2014,
the team crossed the finish line on Boylston Street
in 7 hours, 37 minutes, and 33 seconds.
As Grand Marshal, Dick will ride in a pace car
ahead of the lead runners, heralding to spectators along the course that
thousands of runners will soon be coming. The B.A.A. has reserved the
grand marshal role as a position of recognition
and honor. Last yearÛªs grand marshal was four-time Boston Marathon
winner Bill Rodgers, while the 2013 Grand Marshals were Roberta ÛÏBobbiÛ
Gibb and Sara Mae Berman, Boston champions and pioneers of womenÛªs
marathon running.
The B.A.A. also announced today that 1985
champion Lisa Rainsberger will be the official starter for the Elite
WomenÛªs division of the Boston Marathon. This year, Rainsberger
celebrates the 30th anniversary of her victory, the last by an
American woman in the open division.
At the 1985 Boston Marathon, Rainsberger cruised
to victory in a time of 2:34:06, defeating the field by more than six
minutes. After starting the Elite WomenÛªs division, Rainsberger will run
the Boston Marathon. She is also planning to
participate in the B.A.A. 5K two days prior.
Boston Athletic Association Executive Director
Tom Grilk will start the Boston Marathon Mobility Impaired participants,
while B.A.A. President Joann Flaminio will start the menÛªs and womenÛªs
Push Rim Wheelchair divisions. Christina Whelton,
daughter of B.A.A. Board of Governors member Thomas W. Whelton, will
start the Elite Men and Wave 1 at 10:00 a.m. A member of BostonÛªs
legendary Brown family, Christina is the granddaughter of Walter Brown,
founder of the Boston Celtics, former owner of the
Boston Bruins, and President of the B.A.A. from 1941-1964.
About the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.)
Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic
Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of promoting a
healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A.Ûªs
Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon, and
the organization manages other local events and supports comprehensive
charity, youth, and year-round running programs. Since 1986, the
principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been John Hancock
Financial. The Boston Marathon is part of the Abbott World
Marathon Majors, along with the international marathons in Tokyo,
London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. More than 60,000 runners
will participate in B.A.A. events in 2015. The 119th Boston Marathon
will be held on Monday, April 20, 2015. For more information
on the B.A.A., please visit www.baa.org.