Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon on Marathon Monday: where to watch between Hopkinton and Boylston Street, how the Commuter Rail and Green Line work on race day, what the finish area closes, and where to sleep in Boston.
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Boston Marathon in short
The 131st Boston Marathon is on Monday 19 April 2027, a point-to-point race from Hopkinton to Boylston Street in Boston through eight cities and towns. Watching needs no ticket; you pick a spot and get there by Commuter Rail or the Green Line. The Framingham/Worcester Line runs close to the course and the Green Line C Branch runs beside it. In 2026 the first runners started at 9:06am and the last wave at 11:21am, and bikes were banned on the subway and on the Framingham/Worcester Line.
What happens when
- About 7am to 9am
- Roads close in the host towns on race morning. In 2026 Hopkinton closed about 7:00am and Boston at 9:00am, and the roads reopened between 1:30pm and about 7:00pm depending on the town.
- About 9:06am to 9:50am
- Wheelchair, handcycle, elite and para divisions start in Hopkinton (2026 times).
- 10:00am to 11:21am
- Waves 1 to 6 start in Hopkinton, with Wave 6 at 11:21am (2026 times).
- Afternoon
- Runners keep reaching the Boylston Street finish through the afternoon. In 2026 Brookline was due to reopen about 6pm and Boston about 7pm.
Where to watch the race
- Start
Hopkinton, Main Street
Arrive early to see the start. Parking at Hopkinton State Park is limited, with shuttles on race morning.
Elite men 937am in 2026
- Noise
Wellesley Scream Tunnel
Near Wellesley College, just before the halfway point. Commuter Rail stops at Wellesley Square, Wellesley Hills and Wellesley Farms.
Just before halfway
- The hills
Newton Hills
The B.A.A. puts the hills between miles 17.5 and 21. Green Line stops include Woodland and Boston College.
Miles 17.5 to 21
- Late race
Beacon Street, Brookline
Nearly three miles of viewing along Beacon Street, with Green Line stops including Cleveland Circle on the C Branch.
Miles 22.45 to 24.70
- Finish
Boylston Street
The finish. You cannot park nearby, and the Family Meeting Area is on Stuart Street between Berkeley and Clarendon Streets.
Commuter Rail, Green Line, Orange Line
The Boston Marathon guide
How race day runs
The 131st Boston Marathon is on Monday 19 April 2027 and runs 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boylston Street in Boston, through Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton and Brookline on the way. The B.A.A. had not published the 2027 start times in October 2026, so the times below are from the 2026 race. Expect the same shape: the wheelchair division at 9:06am for men and 9:09am for women, handcycles at 9:30am, the professional men at 9:37am, the professional women at 9:47am, and then six waves from 10:00am to 11:21am.
Because the course is point to point, you see each runner once at each spot and then they are gone. The 2026 spectator page told people who wanted to see runners in more than one place to plan the route. Roads close along the course before the start (Hopkinton about 7:00am, Boston 9:00am in 2026) and reopen town by town from 1:30pm in Hopkinton to about 7:00pm in Boston.
Spectators may not enter the course or run alongside athletes, and anyone without a bib or accreditation on the course is told to leave. The free B.A.A. Racing App tracks participants and can alert you when a runner passes an on-course checkpoint. If you cannot be in Boston, WCVB Channel 5 (ABC) started its local coverage at 4am in 2026 and ESPN2 carried the race nationally from 9:00am to 12:30pm ET.
Where to watch
The B.A.A. suggests a viewing spot in each of the eight communities. These five run from the start to the finish.
Hopkinton, Main Street
Arrive early to see the start on Main Street. Parking at Hopkinton State Park is limited, and shuttles ran on race morning in 2026.
Wellesley Scream Tunnel
The tunnel is near Wellesley College, just before the halfway point. Commuter Rail stops at Wellesley Square, Wellesley Hills and Wellesley Farms. The B.A.A. also runs a sensory-friendly viewing area at the Tolles Parsons Center, 500 Washington Street, around mile 13.5; it needs an RSVP and asks for no noisemakers such as cowbells or horns.
Newton Hills
The B.A.A. puts the Newton Hills between miles 17.5 and 21, and its media guide places Heartbreak Hill around mile 20 to 21. Green Line stops here include Woodland and Boston College. Roads near Woodland station may be closed, according to the MBTA.
Beacon Street, Brookline
Brookline gives nearly three miles of viewing along Beacon Street, and the Green Line C Branch runs parallel to the course, so you can walk to a stop and ride back into the city.
Boylston Street, the finish
Spectators cannot park near the finish. The B.A.A. suggested garages at 100 Clarendon, the Prudential Center and 2 Copley Place in 2026, and the Boston Common Garage on Charles Street was closed on Marathon Monday morning. The Family Meeting Area is on Stuart Street between Berkeley and Clarendon Streets, with signs in alphabetical order, and the B.A.A. warns that it takes considerable time to walk there from the finish. Agree a meeting point and a backup before the race. The accessible viewing areas are at the corners of Hereford, Ring Road, Fairfield and Exeter Streets with Boylston Street.
Getting around on race day
The MBTA runs the Framingham/Worcester Line on a special Marathon Monday timetable with extra inbound and outbound trains; other Commuter Rail lines run a normal weekday schedule. Parts of the line are less than half a mile from the course. The Green Line C Branch runs parallel to the course in Brookline. In 2026 the MBTA closed Copley station all day, and the South Street, Kent Street and St. Mary's Street stops from about 10am to 6pm, and it warned that other stations near the finish could close too. Roads near the Ashland, Framingham, Natick and Wellesley stations on the Worcester Line may close as well.
The MBTA advises against driving to the course and lists parking at its stations from $2 to $15 a day. It asks passengers to let others off before boarding, to take backpacks off and hold them at their side or between their feet, and to leave alcohol out of trains, buses and stations.
What to leave at home
The B.A.A. page for 2026 links a separate prohibited-items list for spectators; read it before you go. The MBTA tells passengers to leave large bags, coolers and strollers at home. Police are present along the whole course.
Where to sleep
For the finish, Back Bay is the closest base: Boylston Street is the finish line, and Back Bay station has the Orange Line and Commuter Rail. Remember that Copley station closed all day in 2026. Downtown and the waterfront put you on the Freedom Trail and the North End, with the Orange Line to the finish area. Seaport has newer hotels on the harbor, with the Silver Line to South Station. The Boston where-to-stay guide compares all of them.
- Four-star hotel with an 8.6/10 guest score
- 774 guest reviews
- 1.8 km from the marathon centre
Where to stay for Boston Marathon
Tours and tickets
Partner options we would book ourselves.
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Right now in Boston
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
19
- Feels like
- 14°
- Humidity
- 35%
- Wind
- 16 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 2%
Boston
03:06 PM
Monday, November 2
- Today21°5°2%Monday: Cloudy. High 21°, Low 5°. Chance of rain 2%.
- Tue23°8°9%Tuesday: Cloudy. High 23°, Low 8°. Chance of rain 9%.
- Wed23°10°0%Wednesday: Cloudy. High 23°, Low 10°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Thu22°13°39%Thursday: Drizzle. High 22°, Low 13°. Chance of rain 39%.
- Fri18°15°58%Friday: Rain. High 18°, Low 15°. Chance of rain 58%.
- Sat17°12°58%Saturday: Rain. High 17°, Low 12°. Chance of rain 58%.
- Sun16°9°24%Sunday: Cloudy. High 16°, Low 9°. Chance of rain 24%.
Updated 12:12 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
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Boston Marathon FAQ
When is the Boston Marathon in 2027?
Monday 19 April 2027, the 131st running. The course goes from Hopkinton to Boylston Street in Boston, and the B.A.A. had not yet published the 2027 start times in October 2026.
Do I need a ticket to watch the Boston Marathon?
No. You watch from the roadside, and the B.A.A. spectator guide lists suggested viewing spots in each of the eight communities on the route.
Where is the best place to watch?
It depends on what you want. Wellesley is the loud one, the Newton Hills (miles 17.5 to 21) are the climb, Beacon Street in Brookline gives nearly three miles of viewing, and Boylston Street is the finish. Because the race is point to point, plan your route if you want to see runners in more than one place.
How do I get to the course without a car?
The MBTA Framingham/Worcester Line runs a special Marathon Monday timetable with extra trains, and parts of it are less than half a mile from the course. The Green Line C Branch runs beside the course in Brookline. The MBTA advises against driving to the course.
Can I take a bike on race day?
Not on the T or the Framingham/Worcester Line. In 2026 the MBTA banned bikes, including folding bikes, on the subway on Marathon Monday, and banned bikes and scooters on Framingham/Worcester Line trains from 5pm the evening before until the end of service.
What should I leave at home?
The B.A.A. asks spectators not to bring weapons, suitcases and rolling bags, inflatable items that could impede runners, or flammable liquids, fuels and fireworks. Drones are banned along the whole course. The MBTA also asks you to leave large bags, coolers and strollers at home, and alcohol is not allowed on trains, buses or in stations.