What you need to know about the 2025 Boston Marathon

On Monday, April 21, tens of thousands of athletes will gather at the starting line in Hopkinton for the 26.2-mile course to the finish line in Boston’s Copley Square for the 129th Boston

Marathon.

The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest marathon and one of the seven World Marathon Majors. Its fame and rigor have attracted runners from all over the country and the world. Residents of

all 50 U.S. states (plus Washington, D.C. and additional U.S. territories) were accepted into the 129th Boston Marathon, as were citizens of 118 countries, according to the Boston Athletic

Association (BAA).

Last year’s champions from the elite men’s and women’s divisions Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia and Hellen Obiri of Kenya will return to the marathon to defend their titles, alongside American

elite contenders like Medford’s Emma Bates and Princeton’s Colin Bennie. Thousands of runners in the marathon’s charity program will also compete in the race, running for causes close to

their hearts. 

In addition to the marathon on Patriot’s Day – which this year marks the 250th anniversary of the first battles of the Revolutionary War – there are numerous events and celebrations leading

up to the historic race. 

Here’s more info on how to watch the 2025 Boston Marathon, what to expect, and the race day schedule.

The BAA recommends runners use the official BAA buses beginning at 6:45 a.m. Bus pick-up takes place on Charles Street between the Public Garden and Boston Common. All participants must show

their bib number in order to board the buses. The last bus to the start line leaves Boston Common at 9:30 a.m. 

Para-athletes and their guides and support runners can board accessible transportation to the start line from the Sheraton Boston Hotel located at 39 Dalton St. on race morning beginning at

5 a.m.

Runners start off the Boston Marathon from Main Street in Hopkinton and follow Route 135 through Ashland, Framingham, and Natick, then into Wellesley.

The route moves on to Route 16 through Wellesley into Newton before turning onto Commonwealth Avenue (Route 30) through the Newton Hills and past the reservoir onto Chestnut Hill Avenue.

The route then turns left on Beacon Street, traversing past Kenmore Square before linking back up with Commonwealth Avenue. The home stretch includes a right turn onto Hereford Street and

left onto Boylston Street before finishing at Copley Square.

Have a friend or family member running? Search the field of runners here. The Family Meeting Area is located on Stuart Street between Berkeley Street and Clarendon Street, and has

alphabetical signs to find your family member.

Expo (April 18-20): Runners can pick up their bib number, race packet, and a t-shirt at this three-day event at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center on Boylston Street.

There’s also an Adidas Boston Marathon store with photo ops, sponsor exhibits, and panels. The Expo is free and open to the public. View the full schedule of Expo events here.

Fan Fest (April 18-20): Free and open to the public, this three-day event at City Hall Plaza features appearances by Boston Marathon champions, live music, activities, a final race clinic,

and more.

Mile 27 Post-Race Party (April 21): This Monday post-race party takes place at City Hall Plaza. There will be  a livestream of the marathon starting at 12 p.m. and live entertainment and

snacks available for purchase in the evening at the beer garden. Kids under 12 get in for free, and tickets ($5) can be purchased here.

Boston-area viewers can watch the Boston Marathon on WCVB Channel 5 (ABC), beginning at 4 a.m. on Marathon Monday or by livestreaming the race through the Very Local app. 

The Boston Marathon will also be simulcast regionally on WMUR News 9 ABC (Manchester, NH), WMTW Channel 8 ABC (Portland/Auburn, ME), and WPTZ NBC5 (Burlington, VT/Plattsburgh, NY).

ESPN2 will broadcast the 129th Boston Marathon on its flagship channel from 9 a.m. ET until 12:30 p.m. ET. ESPN will also have coverage of the race within SportsCenter before the live

coverage and later in the day, as well as coverage appearing on other ESPN shows and platforms.

Annie Jonas is a Community writer at Boston.com. She was previously a local editor at Patch and a freelancer at the Financial Times.