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10 April, 2005
Team Hoyt (Rick & Dick) compete in about 40 races a year, but Rick always says that if they could do only one race each year, it would be the Boston Marathon. They now look forward to competing in their 24th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 18, 2005. Having already competed in 2 half marathons, the Eastern States 20 Miler and four smaller races, they feel they are ready.
The Boston Marathon means a great deal to Team Hoyt. When Rick and Dick were offered an ‘all expense paid week’ to Kona, Hawaii for a speaking engagement which happened to be on the night before Boston, they answered in unison with an emphatic “No Way!”
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Rick & Dick Hoyt are The Boston Marathon
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They are inspired by the many admirers who email and write, many confirming that Team Hoyt are not just entrants in the Boston Marathon but that Rick and Dick “ARE the Boston Marathon”. They are inspired by the crowds of people who line the streets of the famous course year after year, not to cheer on the leaders but to wait for the dynamic duo to come flying by. It is no secret however, that the true inspiration here is Team Hoyt. You don’t need an announcer to tell you when they are coming, the cheering builds to a crescendo and you can hear the cries of “Go Rick & Dick Hoyt” long before they arrive.
Rick enjoys everything about the Boston Marathon but there are two sections that bring the biggest smiles to his face. The first of these is the run through Wellesley with all the college girls out there cheering him on. The second is Kenmore Square where the Boston University students form another cheer squad – this is Rick’s alma mater. He also has an ‘affectionate glance’ back towards the Eliot Lounge.
The Hoyts are indeed a popular team with the media, doing live interviews with four TV stations prior to the start, as well as interviews with local radio stations and newspapers. Channel 4 from Boston has always been there to grab Rick and Dick as soon as they cross the finish line.
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See you Next Year
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It can all be summed up in the deafening roar of the supporters as Team Hoyt race from Hopkinton to Boylston Street and the many signs of encouragement that read “Go Rick & Dick”. But the sign that says it all appears every year about a mile from the start, saying, “See you Next Year”.
