The historic Boston Marathon is one of the city’s most beloved traditions. Reporters from GBH News will be along the route throughout the day. Follow our coverage below or view more stories here.
POSTED 1:32 PM
Marathon runners still run the course, but rain on Patriot’s Day in Boston puts a damper on the Red Sox. The game is moved two innings to a home game against the Los Angeles Angels.
It’s raining hard again in Fenway Park and here comes the tarp
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) April 17, 2023
POSTED 1:17 PM
Twenty-seven Boston Marathon runners made history before the race even started this year by registering for the race as non-binary, which the Boston Athletic Association had previously disallowed for in-person racing. In a field of nearly 30,000 runners, 27 are running in the non-binary category.
Americans Kae Ravichandran, Cal Calamia and Matthew Powers were the first three non-binary finishers. Ravichandran was the first to cross the finish line with a time of 2:38:57.
POSTED 1:02 PM
The Boston Marathon couldn’t happen without hundreds and hundreds of volunteers. Brookline’s Ashley Cronin (right) and North End’s Michelle Thach are both medical assistants at Beth Israel. They are volunteers on the blanket distribution team and were preparing to cover incoming runners. You will be handling hundreds of blankets today.
Brookline’s Ashley Cronin (right) and North End’s Michelle Thach, volunteers in the Blanket Distribution Squad, prepare to cover incoming runners on April 17, 2023.
Annie Shreffler / GBH News
SHIPPED 12:20 PM
GBH’s Diego Lopez is in the Cleveland Circle where runners from the earlier waves pass near mile 22.
POSTED 12:10 PM
Hellen Obiri of Kenya is the women’s champion, crossing the finish line on Boylston Street in 2:21:38. Ethiopian Amane Beriso crossed right behind her.
A group of the runners huddled together for much of the race until Obiri pulled away on Hereford Street.
POSTED 12:04 PM
With just a few minutes left until the women’s race, four marathon runners – Ethiopian Amane Beriso, Ethiopian Ababel Yeshaneh, Kenyan Hellen Obiri and Israeli Lonah Salpeter – are standing together. Her lead grows over American Emma Bates, who fell back several seconds.
In Kenmore Square, four women side by side. Looks like this will be a repeat of last year’s dramatic last mile!
— BAA (@BAA) April 17, 2023
POSTED 11:45 am
Kenyan Evans Chebet has crossed the finish line and won the men’s division of the Boston Marathon with a time of 2:05:54 in a 2022 repeat win. Tanzanian Gabriel Geay was second, just ahead of Kenyan Benson Kipruto
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 17: Evans Chebet of Kenya crosses the finish line to take first place in the men’s professional division of the 127th Boston Marathon on April 17, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Eliud Kipchoge, considered by many to be the greatest marathoner of all time, finished fourth.
However, GBH’s Esteban Bustillos saw Chebet cross the finish line.
POSTED 11:38 AM
If ever there was a pack of females this size so late in the race, no one can remember.
— BAA (@BAA) April 17, 2023
POSTED 11:27 AM
Elite men’s race looks get an unexpected surprise as Eliud Kipchoge falls behind. Many said he could be the first runner to break the elusive two-hour time in an official marathon. This year he is running the Boston Marathon for the first time.
Men are at mile 22, Chebet leading Kipruto and then Geay in single file. On pace for a 2:05:46 finish.
— BAA (@BAA) April 17, 2023
POSTED 11:19 AM
Light rain over Boston has caused the Red Sox to delay the start of their game against the Los Angeles Angels.
#FenwayWeather Update: Today’s first pitch has been delayed due to bad weather. As soon as we have a new start time we will provide an update.
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 17, 2023
POSTED 11:05 am
Things get hot in the men’s and women’s pro races.
As the pack of men breaks up at a water stop, Gabriel Geay from Tanzania charges ahead. He’s a 2:03:00 guy who finished fourth here last year and .@EliudKipchoge fell on the back of this pack.
— BAA (@BAA) April 17, 2023
POSTED 11:02 AM
For many survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing 10 years ago, running was a form of healing. They include Robert Wheeler, a 23-year-old first-time runner who had just crossed the finish line of the marathon in 2013 when the first bomb went off.
That traumatic day didn’t stop him from running, something he found more comfort in after the attacks. This year will be his ninth Boston Marathon. Trauma experts say it can help runners process difficult emotions, and it’s an activity many bomb survivors have stuck to in the decade since the attacks. Survivors say that running itself, as well as returning to the course, has helped them heal.
Athletes, Wheeler said, tend to have “a fire” in them.
“And often enough, those with trauma have a little bit more,” he added. “Because unfortunately, trauma either tears you down, breaks you completely, or it can be a tool: you can use this fire to burn down the house, or you can use this fire to feed your soul and build yourself and this house to build within.”
Read: At the intersection of running and trauma, these marathon runners find healing
POSTED 10:49 AM
USA’s Susannah Scaroni won the women’s wheelchair division with a time of 1:41:45. It’s her first win at the Boston Marathon.
Susannah Scaroni of the United States crosses the finish line to place first in the women’s professional wheelchair division at the 127th Boston Marathon April 17, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
POSTED 10:20 AM
We have a winner! Switzerland’s Marcel Hug crossed the finish line on Boylston Street to win the men’s wheelchair division. His unofficial time of 1:17:06 broke his own course record.
Marcel Hug crosses the finish line to win the wheelchair class of the Boston Marathon on April 17, 2023.
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
GBH’s Diego Lopez watched the wheelchair athletes in Cleveland Circle near Mile 22.
POSTED AT 9:48 AM
The working women have left Hopkinton.
The #Boston Marathon open women’s field is over! Among the women to watch are Amane Beriso, the third fastest woman in history; Ababel Yeshaneh, who repeatedly swapped the late race lead last year before finishing 2nd here, and @HellenObiriin her first Boston.
— BAA (@BAA) April 17, 2023
POSTED 9:38 AM
The men’s professional field has left the starting line at Hopkinton.
All eyes are on Eliud Kipchoge, the 38-year-old who is often hailed as the all-time greatest in marathon: he holds two Olympic gold medals at the event, four first places at the London Marathon, and another four at the Berlin Marathon , a first place in Tokyo and another in Chicago.
Many say he could be the first runner to break the elusive two-hour time in an official marathon. This year he is running the Boston Marathon for the first time.
Marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya points to his watch after crossing the finish line of the INEOS 1:59 Challenge after 1:59:40 in Vienna, Austria, on Saturday October 12, 2019. He is the first person to ever run a marathon under two hours.
Ronald Zak/AP
Mark Carroll, head coach of the Boston Athletic Association’s high-performance team, believes we’re on the verge of a sub-2-hour marathon in an official setting.
“Is it doable? [Kipchoge’s] made it. He did it on a closed course with pacemakers. He showed that under two hours is possible in a controlled environment,” he said. “But I think the day where we see a two-hour marathon in a world marathon major is probably not too far away.”
Read: What would it take to break the elusive 2-hour marathon time on Boston’s course?
POSTED 9:05 AM
And they’re gone! The 127th Boston Marathon is officially underway as the men’s and women’s wheelchair divisions just left Hopkinton.
The 127th #Boston The marathon is underway as the wheelchair users descend the steep hill from Hopkinton. Among them is the 5-time Boston champion @MarcelEricHug & Defending Champion Daniel Romanchuk.
— BAA (@BAA) April 17, 2023
Wheelchair athlete Manuela Schar (W101) of Switzerland breaks with others during the 127th Boston Marathon Monday April 17, 2023 in Hopkinton, Mass. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm) from the starting line.
Maria Schwalm/AP
POSTED 8:40 AM
Take a look inside the Athlete’s Village in Hopkinton where tens of thousands of runners are preparing:
POSTED 8:17 AM
A decade after the Boston Marathon bombing, the city still mourns and the survivors are still recovering.
“At the Boylston Street finish line there are now four twisting towers of bronze-colored metal reaching into the sky. They stand guard in a moving memorial to those who lost their lives in an instant. A reminder and reminder of our promise never to forget,” writes Callie Crossley.
“But some cannot forget – emotionally and mentally, time has stood still for them. Many show no signs of physical injury but instead bear invisible scars: the trauma they still live with.”
Read and listen: For the survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing, every day is an anniversary
7:50 a.m. POSTED
What do you eat the night before the marathon run? Many runners prefer carbs, while some, like Jeremie Dernott, choose pizza.
This is Jeremie Dernott – first-time Boston marathoner from France who lives in Michigan. So far he loves Boston
His pre-race dinner?
🍕 PIZZAAAAAAA pic.twitter.com/jza6Z1pRIP
— Jeremy Siegel (@jersiegel) April 17, 2023
7:37 AM POSTED
April in Boston can bring all types of weather, from heat to snow to freezing rain. Conditions today are humid and cool with morning temperatures in the 40’s expected to rise into the 50’s with a chance of rain by midday.
Here’s what runners will see when they take off from the finish line:
It’s DARK out in Hopkinton this morning where the runners will start @Boston Marathon.
This is the view they will enjoy as they start the 26.2 mile run – great running weather tell me if the rain keeps on! pic.twitter.com/UiqGfG395d
— Jeremy Siegel (@jersiegel) April 17, 2023
PUBLISHED MONDAY 5:30 PM
You can watch the marathon at home by tuning into WCVB channel 5. Coverage of the races begins at 4am and continues into the evening. It also airs on ESPN from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m
Athletes leave Hopkinton in waves, starting around 9:00am and ending at 11:00am, so it’s busy throughout the day. The leaders are expected to cross the finish line at around 11:45 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. respectively.
Read: More on the best places to watch the marathon.
PUBLISHED MONDAY 5:00 PM
The 26.2-mile marathon course begins in Hopkinton and travels through suburban areas to the finish line in Boston. Although slightly downhill, the infamous hills surrounding Newton make it one of the more difficult marathons for long-distance runners.
After crossing the starting line on East Main Street in Hopkinton, runners will follow Route 135 as they traverse Ashland, Framingham, Natick and Wellesley. There the marathon follows Route 16 and Commonwealth Avenue through the hills of Newton and up Heartbreak Hill. It turns through Cleveland Circle onto Chestnut Hill Avenue and leads over Beacon Street to Brookline and then through Kenmore Square. Coming down Commonwealth Avenue to Back Bay, runners turn right onto Hereford Street and left onto Boylston Street, finally crossing the finish line at Copley Square.
Do you have any further questions? Here’s everything you need to know about the 2023 Boston Marathon.
PUBLISHED SUNDAY 4:30 PM
More than 100 Golden Retrivers came to Boston to honor Spencer, the official Boston Marathon dog, and Penny, who both died in February. Spencer was a therapy dog popular for cheering on runners in recent years. The dogs greeted runners and visitors at the finish line and congregated on Boston Common. Massachusetts Golden Meetups, which organized the event, donated a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Golden Strong bandanas to canine cancer research.
Taylor Hosner of Michigan poses with golden retrievers at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 16, 2023.
Meghan Smith / GBH News
PUBLISHED SUNDAY 1:00 PM
The attacks on the marathon 10 years ago have become an indelible part of Boston’s history, and two permanent markers now stand at the sites of the blast. But the items that were once part of the temporary memorial have actually largely been forgotten – although preserved for eternity and open to the public.
Much of the objects that make up the memorial were kept at the Boston City Archives in West Roxbury, a low, nondescript building near a home depot on Boston’s southwestern border.
Here, in the archive’s cavernous archive room, you’ll find nearly all of the temporary memorial’s so-called flat objects, including drawings, maps, notes, flags, race numbers, police badges, and whiteboards with greetings and condolences from Boston and much further afield. Other, more cumbersome objects, including most running shoes decorated with messages defining the memorial, are kept off-site but can also be retrieved for the public to see.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWkSMEAvyEI
Read: Boston’s original Marathon bombing now resides in an archive in West Roxbury
PUBLISHED SUNDAY 11:20 AM
Each year, the night before the Boston Marathon, hundreds of cyclists gather at the race’s start line in Hopkinton for an unofficial, unsanctioned event: a midnight ride along the marathon’s 26.2-mile course.
The Boston Marathon course has long been cycled, but it became a more regular tradition after 2009, when a group of Boston University students decided to ride.
“We knew we loved biking but hated running,” said Greg Hum, who was one of those bikers.
Cyclists Peter Cheung (left) and Daniel Day (right) take part in a training ride ahead of Sunday night’s midnight marathon
Craig LeMoult / GBH News
“We wanted to find a way to connect with this amazing Boston tradition, but didn’t want to direct it. So we decided to take our bikes on the train and cycle the marathon home in the middle of the night.”
Read and listen: For throngs of cyclists, a “midnight ride” before the Boston Marathon is an enduring tradition
SATURDAY 8:16 PM
Ten years ago today, on April 15, 2013, the Boston Marathon bombings forever changed the meaning of the race to that city.
Hundreds of people gathered at the finish line this afternoon for the 10th anniversary honor the victims of the attack. The city also unveiled a new marker on Boylston Street.
A special marker located just after the Boston Marathon finish line commemorates the 10th anniversary of the marathon bombing.
Esteban Bustillos / GBH News
US Senator Elizabeth Warren said the people she spoke to before and after the ceremony talked about what they lost that day – but they also focused on the future.
“Because that’s what we do here in Boston. This 10-year anniversary is about what we’ve lost, but it’s about what we’ve gained together,” she said.
Read: Boston gathers to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Marathon bombing
FRIDAY 12:30 PM
It’s almost time! GBH’s Liz Neisloss captured this scene of Boston marathoner Bryant McArthur of Portland, Oregon taking a picture of marathoner Erin Genova of North Redding, Mass at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Genova says Monday’s race will be her 12th Boston marathon and this will be McArthur’s number two.
THURSDAY 1:30 PM
The Boston Public Garden’s popular Make Way for Ducklings statue is ready and dressed for the marathon.
THURSDAY 1:00 PM
A week before the 2023 Boston Marathon, GBH’s Morning Edition held its own race: a race against the T.
Host Jeremy Siegel joined two runners, both training for the Boston Marathon, in separate attempts to beat the MBTA’s green line.
Rachel Heller runs the Boston marathon for the non-profit Metro Housing Boston. She and Morning Edition co-host Jeremy Siegel attempted to cross the Green Line from Boston University East to Packard’s Corner.
Gal Tziperman Lotan / GBH News
He wanted to see if he – a runner, but not super fast – could do it. He also wanted to test whether it’s more convenient to use your feet than the Charlie Card right now with all the slow zones while inspecting and repairing T lines.
Read and listen: Spill the T – Can Boston Marathon Runners Beat the Green Line?