Dick Hoyt Ran an Incredible Race
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Dick Hoyt stood at the starting line of the Boston Marathon with his son, Rick, 32 times. Thirty-two times the duo crossed the finish line, following at once their own course and one well-trod by other runners. For 26.2 miles they were both alone and inseparable, sharing a bond both entirely understandable but impossible to truly understand.
It was one of the most beautiful things in sports and in life to see Dick, who would age in body but never falter in indomitable spirit, play co-pilot with his son. They were steady and reliable. Rick, a quadriplegic with cerebral palsy, out in front exploring the open road, his father steering into the waters ahead of the next unknown mile.