After a cold and wet Boston Marathon in 2018, runners are hoping for better course conditions this year. Runners have been training around the globe for the Patriots Day race – the Boston Athletic Association capped the field at 30,000 – and more than 80 percent of the field consists of qualifiers. The rest of the field is made up of runners participating on behalf of a charity.
Here’s what you need to know about this year’s marathon.
Date: Monday, April 15.
TV: WBZ / NBC Sports.
Live streams:Boston CBS or NBC Sports.
Entry list:Search the field of runners here.
2019 outlook
In the 123rd running of the Boston Marathon, 2018 men’s elite winner Yuki Kawauchi and women’s elite winner Desiree Linden headline the field, which includes a combined 52 Olympians and Paralympians.
Other past winners expected to compete include Geoffrey Kirui, Lelisa Desisa, Lemi Berhanu, Wesley Korir, Edna Kiplagat, Caroline Rotich, and Sharon Cherop. In the wheelchair division, four-time defending champion Marcel Hug and 10-time winner Ernst van Dyk are among the favorites in the men’s race while 2018 women’s champion Tatyanna McFadden will vie for her sixth victory. Read more about the elite fields here.
Start times
■ 9:02 a.m.: Men’s push rim wheelchair
■ 9:04 a.m.: Women’s push rim wheelchair
■ 9:25 a.m.: Handcycles and Duos
■ 9:32 a.m.: Elite women
■ 10 a.m.: Elite men
■ 10:02 a.m.: Wave 1
■ 10:25 a.m.: Wave 2
■ 10:50 a.m.: Wave 3
■ 11:15 a.m.: Wave 4
Marathon by the numbers
■ There are 29,962 runners entered (16,382 men, 13,544 women).
■ There are 68 competitors entered in the wheelchair division (50 men, 18 women)
■ There are 49 entered in the handcycle division (45 men, 4 women)
| Name | Country | Personal best |
|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Cherono | Kenya | 2:04:06 (Amsterdam, 2018) |
| Sisay Lemma | Ethiopia | 2:04:08 (Dubai, 2018) |
| Lemi Berhanu | Ethiopia | 2:04:33 (Dubai, 2016) |
| Solomon Deksisa | Ethiopia | 2:04:40 (Amsterdam, 2018) |
| Lelisa Desisa | Ethiopia | 2:04:45 (Dubai, 2013) |
| Name | Country | Personal best |
|---|---|---|
| Aselefech Mergia | Ethiopia | 2:19:31 (Dubai, 2012) |
| Edna Kiplagat | Kenya | 2:19:50 (London, 2012) |
| Mare Dibaba | Ethiopia | 2:19:52 (Dubai, 2012) |
| Worknesh Degefa | Ethiopia | 2:19:53 (Dubai, 2018) |
| Meskerem Assefa | Ethiopia | 2:20:36 (Frankfurt, 2018) |
| Name | Country | Personal best |
|---|---|---|
| Marcel Hug | Switzerland | 1:18:04 (Boston, 2017) |
| Ernst van Dyk | South Africa | 1:18:04 (Boston, 2017) |
| Josh Cassidy | Canada | 1:18:25 (Boston, 2012) |
| Masazumi Soejima | Japan | 1:18:50 (Boston, 2011) |
| Hiroyuki Yamamoto | Japan | 1:19:32 (Boston, 2017) |
| Name | Country | Personal best |
|---|---|---|
| Manuela Schar | Switzerland | 1:28:17 (Boston, 2017) |
| Amanda McGrory | USA | 1:33:13 (Boston, 2017) |
| Susannah Scaroni | USA | 1:33:17 (Boston, 2017) |
| Tatyana McFadden | USA | 1:35:05 (Boston, 2017) |
| Sandra Graf | Switzerland | 1:35:44 (Padua, 2008) |
Charity runners
There are 36 charity organizations participating in 2019 and they are projected to raise upward of $36 million for the causes they represent. In 2018, the Boston Marathon charity runner program passed more than $333 million in total funds raised since charity runners first participated in 1989.
Marathon route
The route follows Route 135 from Main St. in Hopkinton and goes through Ashland, Framingham, and Natick, then into Wellesley. In Wellesley, it continues on Route 16 into Newton, where it turns right onto Commonwealth Ave. (Route 30,) following Comm. Ave. through Newton Hills and bearing right at the reservoir onto Chestnut Hill Ave. The route then turns left on Beacon St., continuing into Kenmore Square before rejoining Comm Ave. into the city. The final stretch sees the route turn right onto Hereford St. and left onto Boylston St. before finishing near the Hancock Tower in Copley Square. See a map of the course here.
Other marathon weekend events
B.A.A 5K: The 5K will be held Saturday, April 13. Start time is 8 a.m. About 10,000 athletes will participate in the event around the Boston Common. This will be the 11th year the race has been held. Registration is closed. Here is the course map.
The Invitational Mile: On Saturday, April 13, races feature high school athletes from the eight Boston Marathon towns. There will also be a race featuring professional milers. Here is the course map and the race schedule:
■ 10:30 a.m.: Girls’ Middle School 1000m
■ 10:40 a.m.: Boys’ Middle School 1000m
■ 10:50 a.m.: Middle School Awards Ceremony
■ 11:00 a.m.: Girls’ Scholastic Mile
■ 11:10 a.m.: Boys’ Scholastic Mile
■ 11:20 a.m.: Scholastic Mile Awards Ceremony
■ 11:30 a.m: Men’s Invitational Mile
■ 11:40 a.m: Women’s Invitational Mile
■ 11:50 a.m: Invitational Mile Awards Ceremony
Sports & Fitness Expo: More than 200 athletic brands, companies, and other exhibitors will fill the Hynes Convention Center for three days to display, promote, discuss, and sell their products. It starts Friday, April 12, and ends Sunday, April 14. Here are the hours each day:
■ Friday, April 12, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
■ Saturday, April 13, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
■ Sunday, April 14, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Race bib pickup
Runners can begin picking up their race bibs on Friday, April 12, at the Hynes Convention Center. Pick-up hours each day:
■ Friday, April 12, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
■ Saturday, April 13, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
■ Sunday, April 14, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Related
■ Elite field set for 2019 Boston Marathon
■ More Boston Marathon coverage
Dan can be reached at [email protected]; follow him on Twitter @DanielRShulman.