Home Races Boston Marathon Info for Spectators
Info for Spectators
Whether along the route or watching on television, make the most of your Boston Marathon experience.
Watch the Race
Plan your Marathon Monday experience, whether out on the course or watching from home.
RACE DAY
- Spectator Guidelines
- B.A.A. Racing App
- Along the Course
- See Something, Say Something
- Clear Course
- Watch On Television
- Road Closures
- Family Meeting Area
- Accessibility
- Parking
- Sensory Friendly Area
Spectator Guidelines
The 2026 Boston Marathon Spectator Guide is available now.
The B.A.A. is committed to creating an amazing race day experience for all. As a spectator of a B.A.A. event you play a powerful role in fostering a sense of belonging and community for participants, volunteers, staff, and fellow spectators. We are especially grateful to the cities and towns that host us year after year and appreciate the effort spectators make to treat every person, and their property, along the route with dignity, respect, and care.
Spectators are not allowed to enter the course, run alongside athletes, or impede athletes in any manner. Any person on the course without an official race bib or accreditation will be directed to leave the course immediately.
Spectators are asked to be aware of their surroundings and to report suspicious conduct or items to the closest law enforcement officer or by calling 9-1-1.
Key links
- Spectator Guide 130th Spectator Guide
- Course Map 2026 Course Map
- Spectator Guidelines 2026 Spectator Guidelines
- Prohibited Items Prohibited Items_Spectators
B.A.A. Racing App
The free B.A.A. Racing App is your source for participant tracking, leaderboards, results, race info, weather, course maps, photobooths, and more! Receive alerts as your favorite participants reach checkpoints on course. Download the B.A.A. Racing App today in your mobile app store.
Town by Town
Review the course map to plan your spectating journey. Since the Boston Marathon is point-to-point, it’s best to have a strategy and plan if wanting to see your favorite athletes in more than one location.
Start – 1.90 miles
Road Closures: Approximately 7:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Arrive early to the start line on Main Street and see 30,000 participants depart historic Hopkinton! The town of Hopkinton has been home to the start line since 1924.
Limited spectator parking is available at Hopkinton State Park. Shuttles will be available on race morning.
Start Timeline
| Military Marchers | 6:00 a.m. ET |
| Wheelchair Division – Men | 9:06 a.m. ET |
| Wheelchair Division – Women | 9:09 a.m. ET |
| Handcycles/Duo Teams | 9:30 a.m. ET |
| Professional Men | 9:37 a.m. ET |
| Professional Women | 9:47 a.m. ET |
| Para Athletics Division | 9:50 a.m. ET |
| Wave 1 | 10:00 a.m. ET |
| Wave 2 | 10:15 a.m. ET |
| Wave 3 | 10:28 a.m. ET |
| Wave 4 | 10:41 a.m. ET |
| Wave 5 | 11:01 a.m. ET |
| Wave 6 | 11:21 a.m. ET |
1.90 miles – 4.95 miles
Road Closures: Approximately 6:15 a.m. to 1:20 p.m.
MBTA Stop: Ashland (Commuter Rail, Pleasant Street)
If you time it right, see your favorite runners pass by on Main Street then hop on the Commuter Rail to head down the course. The Ashland station is just under a mile from the course; be sure to check the train schedule on race day for precise timing.
4.95 miles – 7.52 miles
Road Closures: Approximately 7:00 a.m. to 1:55 p.m.
MBTA Stop: Framingham (Commuter Rail, Waverly Street)
The Framingham Train Depot is a great spot to watch the athletes pass by then jump on the inbound Commuter Rail to Boston. Check train schedules on race day for precise timing.
7.52 miles – 11.72 miles
Road Closures: Approximately 7:30 a.m. to 1:55 p.m.
MBTA Stops: West Natick (Commuter Rail, W. Central Street); Natick (Commuter Rail, Walnut Street)
With Fisk Pond as a backdrop, crowds gather on both sides of the road to cheer on participants before they hit Natick Center. Spectators pack Natick Common on Center Street, or take in beautiful views along Fisk Pond and Lake Cochituate.
11.72 miles – 15.93 miles
Road Closures: Approximately 7:30 a.m. to 3:35 p.m.
MBTA Stops: Wellesley Square (Commuter Rail, Grove Street); Wellesley Hills (Commuter Rail, Washington Street); Wellesley Farms (Commuter Rail, Croton Street)
Just prior to the halfway point, Wellesley College is home to one of the loudest and most enthusiastic sports in all of road racing: The Wellesley Scream Tunnel.
15.93 miles – 21.35 miles
Road Closures: Approximately 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
MBTA Stops: Multiple Green Line Stops (including Woodland, Boston College)
The famed Newton Hills (Miles 17.5 – 21) challenge runners on their way to Boston, but feature very supportive and energetic fans on both sides of the road.
22.45 miles – 24.70 miles
Road Closures: Approximately 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
MBTA Stops: Multiple Green Line Stops (including Cleveland Circle, C-Line Brance)
The Beacon Street stretch of the course provides nearly three miles of vantage points and plenty of places to grab a snack before heading downtown for the finish on Boylston.
21.35 miles – 22.45 miles
24.70 miles – 26.20 miles
Road Closures: Varying until 7:00 p.m.
MBTA Stops: Multiple stops including Commuter Rail, Green Line, and Orange Line
The final stretch on Boylston Street is what athletes have been training months for. Celebrate and cheer as they earn their unicorn medals!
See Something, Say Something
Spectators are asked to be aware of their surroundings and to report suspicious conduct or items to the closest law enforcement officer or by calling 9-1-1.
The safety of our participants, volunteers and all others connected to the Boston Marathon is our priority.
Changes to the race route or a pause/cancelation of the race can occur prior to or during the race due to a wide range of public safety situations.
We ask all participants to STAY ALERT, BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS and FOLLOW DIRECTIONS given to you at any point in time from public safety officials and volunteers.
Information can be shared in a variety of ways, depending on the situation. This includes through our volunteers and public announcement systems along the course; direct communication from public safety officials along the route, updates through the B.A.A. Racing App, and emergency text alerts (for those within the targeted location).
Your cooperation and support, should an incident occur, will help everyone have the best day possible.
Clear Course
For our 30,000 participants to run safely from start to finish, they need a clear course for all 26.2 miles.
We ask all our spectators to please celebrate, cheer, and keep the course clear.
Let’s make this a great race day for everyone!
Key links
- Spectator Guidelines 2026 Spectator Guidelines
- Prohibited Items Prohibited Items_Spectators
Watch on Television
Catch every second of action.
Boston-area viewers can enjoy exclusive live coverage of the Boston Marathon on WCVB Channel 5 (ABC), beginning at 4AM on Marathon Monday.
STREAM: Live streaming of the Boston Marathon is available through the Very Local app. Simply search for “Very Local” in your device’s app store to download the free app, compatible with smartphones, tablets, and smart TVs.
The Boston Marathon will also be simulcast regionally on WCVB Channel 5’s Hearst Television sister stations: WMUR News 9 ABC (Manchester, NH), WMTW Channel 8 ABC (Portland/Auburn, ME), and WPTZ NBC5 (Burlington, VT/Plattsburgh, NY).
For more information, visit wcvb.com/boston-marathon and verylocal.com/cities/boston.
ESPN2 will broadcast the 130th Boston Marathon, scheduled to take place on Monday, April 20, 2026, on its flagship channel from 9:00 a.m. ET until 12:30 p.m. ET.
In addition, 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.
For more information, visit www.espn.com.
OFFICIAL BROADCASTERS
WCVB ABC
- New England (US local)
ESPN
- United States (National)
- Australia
TSN/RDS
- Canada
SMG
- China
ESPN Brazil
- Brazil
ESPN LATAM/Sur
- Anguilla
- Antigua
- Argentina
- Aruba
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Barbuda
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Bolivia
- Bonaire
- British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Cuba
- Curacao
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Falkland Islands
- French Guiana
- Grenada
- Guadeloupe
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Martinique
- Mexico
- Montserrat
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Saba
- St. Barthelemy
- St. Eustatius
- St. Kitts/Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Maarten
- St. Vincent/Grenadines
- Suriname
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Turks & Caicos
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
Eurosport India
- India
- Afghanistan
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Maldives
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
Eurosport
- Albania
- Andorra
- Armenia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bosnia-Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Cyprus
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Israel
- Italy
- Kosovo
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macedonia
- Malta
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Republic of Ireland
- Romania
- Russia
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Tajikistan
- Turkmenistan
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- Uzbekistan
- Vatican State
Supersport
- Angola
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Cote d’Ivoire
- Djibouti
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- The Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Kenya
- Liberia
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Reunion
- Rwanda
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Socotra
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Swaziland
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
VTVCab
- Vietnam
Olympic Channel
- Rest of World
Road Closures and Reopenings
Streets and roadways which comprise and abut the Boston Marathon route will be closed to vehicular traffic on race day. The below table indicates anticipated road closure and reopening times in each city and town.
Times are subject to change.
| City/Town | Road Closing Time | Estimated Reopening Time |
|---|---|---|
| Hopkinton | 7:00 a.m. | 1:30 p.m. |
| Ashland | 7:00 a.m. | 1:45 p.m. |
| Framingham | 7:45 a.m. | 2:15 p.m. |
| Natick | 8:30 a.m. | 3:00 p.m. |
| Wellesley | 8:30 a.m. | 4:15 p.m. |
| Newton | 8:00 a.m. | 5:30 p.m. |
| Brookline | 9:00 a.m. | 6:00 p.m. |
| Boston | 9:00 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. |
Family Meeting Area
Prior to race day, make a plan for where to reunite with participants and loved ones. The Family Meeting Area is located on Stuart Street between Berkeley Street and Clarendon Street, and has alphabetical signs to support finding family. It takes considerable time to go from the finish to the Family Meeting Area, so please be patient when searching for runners!
Key links
- Finish Area Map Finish Area Map
Accessibility
ADA-accessible viewing is available near the Finish Line at the corners of Hereford and Boylston, Ring Road and Boylston, Fairfield and Boylston, and Exeter and Boylston.
Please note: Hynes Convention Center MBTA is not accessible.
Parking
Due to road closures and traffic congestion, spectators will not be able to park near the finish area. Suggested garages in Boston include:
- Garage at 100 Clarendon
- Prudential Center Parking (Huntington Avenue)
- Copley Place Parking (2 Copley Place)
- Boston Common Garage (Charles Street, closed on Marathon Monday morning)
Sensory Friendly Viewing Area in Wellesley
Join the B.A.A. and the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism at a sensory friendly viewing area on race day at Tolles Parsons Center (500 Washington Street) in Wellesley. The Sensory-Friendly Viewing Area is located around mile 13.5 and provides a quieter and less crowded environment. The area is welcome to those with autism, disabilities, or sensory needs.
To respect the people with sensory needs, we ask that those in the Sensory-Friendly Viewing Area:
- Avoid loud cheering
- Avoid use of noisemakers (cowbells, horns, etc.)
- Respect the calm atmosphere
All behaviors and stims are welcome here.