Overview
The Boston Marathon is an annual road race and one of 6 World Marathon Majors. It is the oldest annual marathon in the world, having started in 1897 with just 15 participants, after the revival of the marathon at the Summer Olympics in Greece the previous year.
Today, the 30,000 participants include elite athletes, para-athletes, and amateur runners of all abilities. The 26-mile course starts in the small town of Hopkinton and finishes in Copley Square in the heart of Boston.
The Boston Marathon has become one of the most famous road races in the world, and each year some 500,000 spectators line the streets, from rural roadsides through to the city centre, to cheer on and motivate the runners as they undertake the ultimate test of endurance and athleticism.
Boston Marathon Tickets
No tickets are required to watch the Boston Marathon as it is a free public event. Simply find your spot on the roadside anywhere along the course, and get ready to cheer and clap as loudly as you can. The following locations are some of the most popular viewing spots along the course:
- Hopkinton – the course start, which is very busy in the morning
- Ashland – it may be challenging to spot specific friends and family participants because of the high density of runners
- Framingham – runners start to space out
- Natick – the 10-mile mark
- Wellesley – the halfway mark
- Newton – home of Heartbreak Hill, the half-mile incline at mile 20
- Brookline – the final area before the city centre
- Boston - the finish line on Boylston Street near Copley Square
For additional details on spectating check out the BAA's Boston Marathon spectator guide.
