The 2024 rendition of the Boston Marathon is set to be run on Monday with 26.2 miles of tough running looming for nearly 30,000 participants. Fans will gather from Hopkinton to Boston to cheer on racers seeking to add the famed race to their back pocket.
The race's linear nature means road closures will be rolling, but in general, those driving in and around the Boston area should be aware there might be traffic in areas close to the course.
Here's everything you need to know about Boston's road closures on Monday with the full caveat that we have no clue what other roads might be shut down related to non-marathon activities.
Boston Marathon 2024 road closures
Although the race is on Monday, some closures will begin Sunday to allow for race preparation and other events.
Citywide closures are expected to begin at 7:15 a.m. ET on Monday ahead of the 9 a.m. ET start time. Here are the areas with expected closures along the route:
- Hopkinton — 7:15 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
- Ashland — 7:15 a.m. – 1:20 p.m.
- Framingham — 7:30 a.m. – 1:55 p.m.
- Natick — 8:30 a.m. – 2:45 p.m.
- Wellesley — 8:30 a.m. – 3:35 p.m.
- Newton — 8:00 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.
- Brookline — 9:00 a.m. – 5:45 p.m.
- Boston — Variable – 7:00 p.m.
Check here for a complete list of road closures.
The race begins in the town of Hopkinton before taking off through the rest of the city's outskirts before reaching Boston's center.
All participants are completely off the course by 7 p.m. ET for the reopening of the roads, however, most of the roads will be clear before then due to the rolling reopening procedures.
Boston Marathon 2024 course map
The historic race course begins on Main Street in Hopkinton, Mass. before following Route 135 through the towns of Ashland, Framingham, Natick and Wellesley.
The terrain through the beginning of the race features gently rolling hills with small stretches of more pronounced hills. Once the course reaches Wellesley, Route 135 merges with Route 16 where racers will continue into the Newton Lower Falls area before merging onto Commonwealth Avenue.
Hilly at this point, the course bears right at the reservoir onto Chestnut Hill Avenue to Cleveland Circle. The route then heads to Beacon Street through Brookline, Kenmore Square and under Massachusetts Ave.
The route turns right at Hereford Street and then turns left onto Boylston Street where it finishes near the Boston Public Library.
The legendary #BostonMarathon course starts in Hopkinton and ends on Boylston Street in Boston. Check out the #BostonMarathon course map presented by @JetBlue to learn about each and every mile.https://t.co/lpgWyn9aHh 🔗#Boston126 pic.twitter.com/Q21tnNwJSy
— Boston Marathon (@bostonmarathon) April 12, 2022
Boston Marathon 2024 start time
The first start time for the 2024 Boston Marathon is at 9:02 a.m. ET, when the men's Wheelchair Division kicks off race day.
Below is a full schedule for Monday's events.
- 9:02 a.m. Wheelchair Division: Men's Start
- 9:05 a.m. Wheelchair Division: Women's Start
- 9:30 a.m. Handcycle & Duo Participants Start
- 9:37 a.m. Professional Men's Start
- 9:45 a.m. Professional Women's Start
- 9:50 a.m. Para Athletics Division Start
- 9:56 a.m. National Anthem
- 9:58 a.m. Flyover by two C-130s out of the Bradley Air National Guard Base
- 10 a.m. Wave 1 Start
- 10:03 a.m. Grand Marshals Arrival at Boylston Street finish line
- 10:23 a.m. Men's Wheelchair Division approximate finish time
- 10:25 a.m. Wave 2 Start
- 10:37 a.m. Women's Wheelchair Division approximate finish time
- 10:50 a.m. Wave 3 Start
- 11:15 a.m. Wave 4 Start
- 11:44 a.m. Professional Men's approximate finish time
- 12:08 p.m. Professional Women's approximate finish time
- 12:25 p.m. Para Athletics Divisions top finishers approximate time
MORE: Boston Marathon 2024 live results, winners from all eight divisions
How to watch Boston Marathon 2024
- Date: Monday, April 15
- TV channel: ESPN2
- Live stream: Fubo
The Boston Marathon will air nationally on ESPN2 beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET Monday. It will also be live-streamed on Fubo, which offers a free trial so you can try before you buy.
If the Boston Marathon is not available to watch live in your location or if you’re traveling abroad, you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). VPNs provide a secure and private online connection, allowing you to bypass geographical restrictions to access your favorite streaming services from any device anywhere in the world.
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