Now that spring has officially arrived, it’s time to start getting ready for the 2018 Boston Marathon.
The beloved annual race from Hopkinton to Copley Square is always a big deal in the Hub, attracting more than half a million spectators each year. However, the upcoming edition of Marathon Monday will be especially significant, as it will mark the 5th anniversary of the tragic 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
As Boston prepares for the return of the Patriots’ Day festivities, here’s everything you need to know about the 2018 Boston Marathon.
When is the 2018 Boston Marathon?
Since its inception way back in 1897, the race has always held on Patriots’ Day, which falls on the third Monday in April. The upcoming 122nd running of the Marathon is set to take place on April 16.
More than 30,000 people participate in the Marathon each year, making the 26.2 mile trek from the starting line in Hopkinton all the way to the finish line on Boylston Street in the Back Bay. While registration for the event is closed, fans can cheer from the sidelines all along the route.
As usual, the various competitors will take off at different times depending on their division. According to the Boston Athletic Association website, the first group to start on Marathon Monday will be racers in the mobility impaired division, which will kick things off at 8:50 a.m.
The men’s and women’s push-rim wheelchair groups will start at 9:17 a.m. and 9:19 a.m. respectively. They will be followed by the handcycle division at 9:22 a.m.
The women’s elite runners will make their dash from Hopkinton starting at 9:32 a.m. Meanwhile, the elite men’s group and the first wave of amateur runners will start at 10 a.m.
Wave two will begin at 10:25 a.m., followed by wave three at 10:50 a.m. and wave four at 11:15 a.m.
How to watch the 2018 Boston Marathon
Fans can tune in locally to WBZ-TV, which will be broadcasting the race live, as well as streaming it on the station’s website.The Marathon will also air on national television via the NBC Sports Network.
