What you need to know about the 2024 Boston Marathon

The time has finally come.

On April 15, tens of thousands of determined athletes from around the world will line up in Hopkinton and complete the 26.2-mile challenge to Copley Square as part of the 128th Boston Marathon.

The latest edition of the legendary race boasts one of the best elite fields in its history in 2024, with Kenyan Evans Chebet seeking to become the first man in 16 years – and the fifth in history – to win the oldest world marathon three times in a row.

Kenyan Hellen Obiri will attempt to defend her title in the elite women’s category alongside a group of 17 other women with personal bests under 2 hours and 23 minutes.

Beyond the race itself on Patriots Day, many other events and festivities are held in the run-up to the world’s oldest annual marathon.

A popular event on the Boston sports calendar, the marathon will be televised both locally and nationally.

Here’s more information on how to watch, what to expect and how to follow the schedule.

The lesson

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

The route continues on Route 16 through Wellesley to 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 onto Beacon Street, crosses Kenmore Square before joining Commonwealth Avenue. The final stretch includes a right turn onto Hereford Street and a left onto Boylston Street before ending at Copley Square.

For more information on the Boston Marathon route, please see this map.

Race day schedule

Wheelchair for men: 9:02 a.m.

Wheelchair for women: 9:05 a.m.

Handcycles & duos: 9:30 a.m.

Professional men: 9:37 a.m.

Professional women: 9:47 a.m.

Para-athletics division: 9:50 a.m.

Wave 1: 10:00 a.m.

Wave 2: 10:25 a.m.

Wave 3: 10:50 a.m.

Wave 4: 11:15 a.m.

All start times are subject to change.

Is a friend or family member running? Look for the runners field here.

Boston.com’s Ross Cristantiello has more on how you can follow your favorite runner on Patriots Day.

What to do

Fan party: Free and open to the public, this three-day event at City Hall Plaza features live music and interviews with former Boston Marathon champions.

Here is the complete program.

The Expo: Those running the marathon can collect their bib number, race record and a t-shirt here. There is also an Adidas Boston Marathon store. Photo ops, sponsor displays and panels are among the highlights of this three-day event at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center on Boylston Street.

Here is the complete program.

Mile 27: This Monday evening post-race party takes place at City Hall Square and is hosted by Des Linden and Kara Goucher. There will be live entertainment and concessions available for purchase. The champions will also be in the spotlight. Athletes received an email on February 15 to purchase a discounted ticket of $5 and the opportunity to purchase additional tickets for friends and family for $15 per person.

To purchase tickets for Mile 27, click here.

How to watch

The 128th Boston Marathon will be televised on ESPN2 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on race day. You can also see highlights on SportsCenter.

Locally, live coverage of the Boston Marathon will air on WCVB from 4:00 a.m. ET to 8:00 p.m. ET. The race will be exclusively simulcast regionally on WCVB Channel 5’s Hearst Television sister stations, WMUR (Manchester, NH), WMTW (Portland/Auburn, ME) and WPTZ (Burlington, VT/Plattsburgh, NY).

The Boston Marathon will also be broadcast live on Very Local Boston.