About the race
The Boston Marathon is a point-to-point road marathon from Hopkinton to Boylston Street in central Boston, organised by the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.). It is the world's oldest annual marathon and one of the World Marathon Majors.
History
Inspired by the marathon at the 1896 Athens Olympics, B.A.A. team manager John Graham organised the first race on 19 April 1897. It covered 24.5 miles from Ashland, and John J. McDermott won from a field of 15. The start moved to Hopkinton in 1924. Roberta Gibb ran without a number in 1966, Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to run with one in 1967, and the women's division became official in 1972. The race is held on Patriots' Day, which since 1969 has been the third Monday in April.
The course
The 26.2-mile route runs through eight cities and towns: Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline and Boston. The early miles run downhill and the course loses height overall, but the Newton hills arrive late, from about mile 16 to mile 21. The last of them is Heartbreak Hill near Boston College. The finish is on Boylston Street near Copley Square.
The 2027 race
The B.A.A. says the 131st Boston Marathon will be run on Monday, April 19, 2027, with a field size of 30,000 official entrants.
Qualifying and time limits
Most runners get in by qualifying. They need a time under the standard for their age and gender, run on a properly measured full-marathon course within the qualifying window, and they must be at least 18 on race day. Meeting the standard only earns the right to apply. For 2027, qualifier registration ran from 14 to 18 September 2026, and applicants had to beat their standard by 5:17 to be accepted; about 1,000 more were then drawn at random from qualifiers who missed that cut-off. Other places go to charity runners and invited athletes. The finish line closes at 5:30 p.m., after which runners still on the course move to the sidewalks.
Where to watch
The B.A.A. suggests the start on Main Street in Hopkinton, the stations at Ashland and Framingham, Natick Common, the "Scream Tunnel" at Wellesley College just before halfway, the Newton hills, Beacon Street in Brookline and the final stretch on Boylston Street. Spectators must not enter the course or run alongside athletes, and drones are banned.
Weather
Mid-April is spring in eastern Massachusetts, and race-day conditions vary widely from year to year, from heavy rain to strong tailwinds. Because the start lies well west of the finish, the wind direction can make a big difference to the day.
SourcesB.A.A. Boston Marathon · B.A.A. Qualify · B.A.A. History · B.A.A. Info for Spectators · B.A.A. Info for Athletes · B.A.A. news: record field of qualifiers accepted · Wikipedia: Boston Marathon