Bob Hall, a childhood polio survivor who became a pioneer of wheelchair racing and a two-time Boston Marathon winner, has died at 74.
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The Boston Athletic Association said Sunday that Hall's family confirmed his death after a long illness.
Hall is widely credited with helping establish wheelchair racing as a competitive sport. In 1975, he persuaded Boston Marathon organizers to allow him to compete, with the understanding he would receive a finisher's certificate if he completed the 26.2-mile course in under three hours. Hall finished in 2 hours, 58 minutes.
"It had nothing to do with, per se, the marathon, but it was about the inclusion," Hall said last year while serving as grand marshal during the 50th anniversary of his first race.
He returned in 1977, when Boston hosted the National Wheelchair Championship, and won against a field of seven competitors.
Hall, who lost the use of his legs due to polio, later pursued broader access for wheelchair athletes. In 1978, he filed a lawsuit seeking to allow wheelchair racers into the New York City Marathon. The race did not establish official men's and women's wheelchair divisions until 2000.
Beyond competition, Hall played a key role in advancing equipment used in the sport. He designed and built racing chairs that helped transform basic wheelchairs into high-performance racing machines.
More than 1,900 wheelchair athletes have competed in the Boston Marathon since Hall's debut.
"Bob designed innovative wheelchair equipment, raced with courage, and was proud to be a two-time Boston Marathon champion," the Boston Athletic Association said in a statement.
Hall's contributions helped lay the foundation for wheelchair racing's growth into an international sport.
