Your 2024 Boston Marathon cheat sheet
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Crews work on the finish line of the 2024 Boston Marathon. Photo: Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Athletes are already lining up at the starting line in Hopkinton, and chances are you've barely got your Marathon Monday plans worked out.
- We've got you covered.
The big picture: More than 30,000 athletes will compete in the 128th Boston Marathon, the world's oldest annual 26.2-mile race.
When does it start: The wheelchair division kicks off the race at 9:02am and start times continue in waves until 11:15am.
- Expect the professional men's runners to cross the finish line sometime around 11:30am, and the professional women's runners to finish just before noon.
How to watch: WCVB started live coverage at 4am, and it will continue throughout the day.
- ESPN2 will broadcast the marathon from 8:30am-12:30pm. ESPN+ will also live stream the race.
Who to watch: Evans Chebet of Kenya is vying for his third Boston Marathon title, and Helen Obiri, also of Kenya, is aiming for her second in the women's category.
- Meb Keflezighi, who won the marathon in 2014, the first American to do so since 1983, is returning to the race.
- Des Linden, who won the race in 2018, is running this year for the 11th time.
Plus: There's always a handful of celebrities, like "The Bachelor" star Matt James, "Supernatural" co-star Jared Padalecki and Sting's harmonica player Shane Sager.
- Former Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara, NBC10 Boston meteorologist Tevin Wooten and Henry Richard (brother of the late Martin Richard) are also runners to watch.
If you go: Don't leave home with anything more than your phone, keys and other necessary items.
- Security won't let people through checkpoints with backpacks or bags bigger than a waist pack.
What's not allowed: Weapons, weight vests, backpacks, glass containers, selfie sticks, baby strollers, folding chairs, suitcases or any container holding more than a liter of liquid, per the Boston Athletic Association.
- Flags are allowed, but only with poles up to 15 inches.
How to get around: Several streets in Brookline and Boston will be closed to traffic between 8am and 4:45pm (WCVB has the rundown).
- The T is on a regular schedule, but Copley will be closed. Green Line riders will use Arlington, Prudential or Hynes stations instead, while Orange Line riders will use Back Bay station.
- There will also be changes to the Route 1 bus, and additional service on the Framingham/Worcester Commuter Rail Line.
- Bicycles won't be allowed on any MBTA vehicle all day, even folding bicycles or scooters.