Rick Hoyt: Famed Boston Marathon wheelchair racer dies at 61

Rick Hoyt, who finished the Boston Marathon 36 times using his wheelchair and became an icon of the world-famous race, has died at the age of 61.

Starting in 1977, Hoyt and his father competed in races around the world, with his father Dick pushing the chair at over 1,000 races.

Hoyt was born with cerebral palsy and could not use his arms or legs. He used a computer to communicate.

Athletic associations have paid tribute to the enduring legacy of "Team Hoyt".

A statement issued by the Hoyt Foundation announcing his death said he died due to complications with his respiratory system.

"As so many knew, Rick along with our father, Dick, were icons in the road race and triathlon worlds for over 40 years and inspired millions of people with disabilities to believe in themselves, set goals and accomplish extraordinary things," the foundation said in the statement.

The father and son duo competed in their first race in the 1970s after Hoyt told his father he wanted to be part of a five mile benefit run for a lacrosse player who had been paralysed in an accident.

Hoyt later recalled telling his father after that first race: "When I'm running I don't feel handicapped."

The pair's first Boston Marathon was in 1980 and their last together was in 2014. Dick Hoyt died in 2021.

Millions over the years have drawn inspiration from seeing them compete.

In 2013, a statue of the Hoyts was erected near the start of the Boston Marathon.

The Boston Athletic Association, which gives out an award every year named for the Hoyts, released a statement praising their legacy.

"Rick Hoyt will always be remembered as a Boston Marathon icon and for personifying the 'Yes You Can' mentality that defined Team Hoyt," the organisation.

"We are fortunate to have been able to call Rick a friend, mentor, pioneer, and Boston Marathon finisher."