The famous Boston Marathon is fast approaching. This year marks the 128th race. Here's what you need to know about race day.

When is the 2024 Boston Marathon?

It is on Monday, April 15. The Boston Marathon is always on Patriots Day, a legal holiday celebrated on the third Monday of April in Massachusetts and a few other states.

Athletes take off from the starting line beginning at 9:02 a.m. (men's wheelchair division) and continuing in waves through 11:15 a.m.

The professional men's and professional women's division frontrunners are expected to cross the finish line around 11:45 a.m. and 12 p.m., respectively.

Where can I watch the 2024 Boston Marathon?

Live on TV

WCVB Channel 5 begins its race day broadcast at 4 a.m. and will remain covering the Boston Marathon until 8 p.m.

WMUR, WMTW and WPTZ will all share WCVB's broadcast those same hours.

ESPN will broadcast race day from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m., with additional coverage during “SportsCenter” through the day.

Streaming online

WCVB, WMUR, WMTW and WPTZ will all live stream the race on their digital platforms and apps.

A live stream will also be available on Very Local Boston. Streamers can find Very Local in the app store for mobile devices as well as Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV and Samsung TV (2019 and later models).

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In person

There is space to gather all along the race course. Among the more popular viewing spots are the Scream Tunnel at Wellesley College, Heartbreak Hill, which culminates around mile 21 at Boston College, and of course, the finish line on Boylston Street.

Parking is limited and many streets are closed for the marathon. Spectators are encouraged to use the MBTA to get to viewing locations.

What is the Boston Marathon route?

The Boston Marathon route starts in Hopkinton and makes its way through suburbs, all the way to the finish line on Boylston Street at Copley Square.

The Boston Marathon route is celebrating a milestone anniversary this year, which is the 100th time the race is starting in Hopkinton. For the first couple decades of the Boston Marathon, the race began in Ashland and was a slightly shorter distance. The starting line moved further west to conform to the then-new Olympic standard of 26.2 miles.

Find recommended spectator spots along GBH News' Boston Marathon route map below. Looking for ways to get here? Open the left menu and check the box next to “parking and transit” for suggestions.

Who is running in the Boston Marathon?

Athletes who complete other marathons can qualify for the Boston Marathon if they meet or beat set cut-off times based on age and gender.

A race record of about 33,000 athletes applied during the registration week in September, and more than 22,000 of those runners were accepted into the 2024 race. About half of that field are people participating in the Boston Marathon for the first time. Among the returnees, 660 people have completed at least 10 previous, consecutive Boston Marathons.

Athletes who did not have qualifying times can still participate in the Boston Marathon through the race's charity program, which allocates slots on the route to people who raise at least $5,000.

What famous athletes are running in the 2024 Boston Marathon?

Several previous champions and high-profile athletes are coming to Boston for 2024. Below are some highlights. For more details, see the B.A.A.'s press releases about the men's divisions and women's divisions.

Competing in the men's open division:

  • Sisay Lemma, from Ethiopia, who recently ran the fourth-fastest marathon in recorded history. His personal best is 2:01:48.
  • Evans Chebet, from Kenya, who has won the Boston Marathon men's division two years in a row and is hoping to add a third win this year. His personal best is 2:03:00.
  • Gabriel Geay, from Tanzania, who was last year's runner-up in Boston. His personal best is 2:03:00.

Competing in the men's wheelchair division:

  • Marcel Hug, from Switzerland, who won the Boston Marathon wheelchair division six times, including last year with a course record of 1:17:06.
  • Aaron Pike, from the United States, who placed second in Boston in 2022. His personal best is 1:20:02.
  • Daniel Romanchuk, from the United States, who won the wheelchair division in 2019 and 2022. His personal best is 1:21:36.

Competing in the women's open division:

  • Hellen Obiri, from Kenya, who placed first at both the Boston Marathon and the TCS New York City Marathon last year. Her personal best is 2:21:10.
  • Worknesh Degefa, from Ethiopia, who won the Boston Marathon in 2019. Her personal best is 2:15:51.
  • Tadu Teshome, from Ethiopia, who will be making her Boston debut this year. Her personal best is 2:17:36.

Competing in the women's wheelchair division:

  • Susannah Scaroni, from the United States. Her personal best is 1:27:31.
  • Manuela Schär, from Switzerland. Her personal best is 1:28:17.
  • Madison de Rozario, from Australia. Her personal best is 1:31:11.