Rick Hoyt, a quadriplegic man from the eastern Hampden County town of Holland who has participated in dozens of Boston Marathons, will be unable to participate in Monday’s iconic race because of health issues.

Rick Hoyt is recovering from a serious bout of pneumonia, according to his brother, Russel Hoyt.

Russell told 22News that his 57-year-old brother is on the mend, but will be unable to be in Boston for Monday’s race.

Rick was born with Cerebral Palsy and is unable to speak, but with the support of his family and technological devices, learned how to communicate, graduated college, and has authored several books.  Starting in 1981, Dick Hoyt pushed Rick on a specially- modified runner’s wheelchair for 32 Boston Marathons, and countless other races and IronMan competitions.  Rick and Dick Hoyt ran their last Marathon together in 2014, when Dick was 74.  Rick has since participated in the Boston Marathon, pushed by other runners who are members of “Team Hoyt.”

The pair became  icons of the legendary race.  There is a bronze statue of Rick and Dick Hoyt near the Boston Marathon starting line in Hopkinton, Massachusetts 
 

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