2026 Boston Marathon start time, route and how to watch from anywhere

Q: What is the date of the 2026 Boston Marathon?

The 2026 Boston Marathon is scheduled for April 20, 2026.

Q: How many participants are expected in the 2026 Boston Marathon?

More than 30,000 entrants are expected to participate in the 2026 Boston Marathon.

Q: What is the route for the Boston Marathon?

The Boston Marathon route runs 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston.

Q: How can I watch the Boston Marathon from anywhere?

Details on how to watch the Boston Marathon will be provided closer to the event date.

Spring is in the air, flowers are in bloom and road racers are preparing to converge in Massachusetts for one of the biggest days on their calendar, the 130th Boston Marathon.

The world's oldest continuously run marathon is set for its annual running on Patriots' Day in Boston, this coming Monday, April 20.

More than 30,000 entrants in the open, wheelchair, and para and adaptive divisions are expected to take to the streets for the 26.2-mile journey from Hopkinton to Boston. The Boston Athletic Association says citizens from 137 countries and all 50 U.S. states will be represented in this year's event.

When is 2026 Boston Marathon?

The Boston Marathon always falls on Patriots' Day, which is observed in Massachusetts on the third Monday of April. This year, it falls on April 20.

What time is 2026 Boston Marathon?

The Boston Marathon staggers its start times for racers with the wheelchair participants starting first. The professional racers, both men and women, get a jump on the rest of the field – which is broken up into six different waves.

9:06 A.M. ET – Wheelchair Division – Men
9:09 A.M. ET – Wheelchair Division – Women
9:30 A.M. ET – Handcycles & Duo Participants
9:37 A.M. ET – Professional Men
9:47 A.M. ET – Professional Women
9:50 A.M. ET – Para Athletics Division
10:00 A.M. ET – Wave 1
10:15 A.M. ET – Wave 2
10:28 A.M. ET – Wave 3
10:41 A.M. ET – Wave 4
11:01 A.M. ET – Wave 5
11:21 A.M. ET – Wave 6

Sharon Lokedi (Kenya) crosses the finish line to win the 2025 Boston Marathon.

Notable 2026 Boston Marathon entrants

The Boston Athletic Association's website lists several celebrities, sports stars and other notable names who are running in the 2026 marathon. Among them:

Bryan Arenales, 2025 Love Island Season 7 winner
Amby Burfoot, 1968 Boston Marathon Champion
**Zdeno Chara,**former Boston Bruins captain
**Chelsea Clinton,**author and advocate
Jeff DaRosa, musician, Dropkick Murphys
**Laura Green,**running comedian
Chris Herren, former Boston Celtics player
Kristine Lilly, former Team USA soccer player
Des Linden, 2018 Boston Marathon Champion
Suni Williams, astronaut and trailblazer

2026 Boston Marathon course

The 26.2-mile marathon course begins in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, and heads through Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton and Brookline before going into Boston and finishing on Boylston Street, next to the Boston Public Library.

The full course map with mile markers, elevation and more information can be found on the Boston Marathon's website.

How to watch 2026 Boston Marathon

The 2026 Boston Marathon will be broadcast on WCVB Channel 5 in Boston (and its regional sister station) from 4 a.m. ET to 8 p.m. ET.

For those outside the Northeast, the race will air live on ESPN from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. ET.

What is Heartbreak Hill at Boston Marathon?

The most famous part of the course comes between the 20th and 21st mile – Heartbreak Hill. It is an uphill portion of less than a half mile as the runners pass near the campus of Boston College, but it's considered a crucial part of the race because it's where participants' energy often is depleted as they "hit the wall."

There, in 1936, defending champion Johnny Kelley caught race leader Tarzan Brown and gave him a pat on the shoulder as he passed. However, Brown rallied to win and, according to the Boston Globe's account of the race, "broke Kelley's heart" – hence the name Heartbreak Hill.

Who won 2025 Boston Marathon?

Last year, Sharon Lokedi of Kenya obliterated the course record by more than two minutes, using a blistering kick down the stretch to win the women's division in 2 hours, 17 minutes and 22 seconds.

In the men's race, Kenyan John Korir used a strong move around Mile 20 to separate himself from the rest of the leaders and win in 2:04:45. The victory allowed Korir to join his older brother, Wesley, as the only siblings to win the Boston Marathon.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 Boston Marathon start time, route and how to watch live