The Boston Globe
Runners crossed the finish line in the 2018 Boston Marathon.
With about 30,000 runners hitting the course today for the 123rd Boston Marathon, trying to track a specific friend or loved one’s progress by sight is a bit like trying to find a needle in a haystack — only if that haystack was moving across 26.2 miles.
Thankfully, there’s a solution that doesn’t require you to stake out a spot in a crowd and stare for hours on end at the mass of moving bodies.
The Boston Athletic Association says you can track the progress of your favorite Boston Marathon athlete by using the AT&T Athlete Alert program. Just text RUNNER to 234567 and sign up to receive alert messages as your athlete makes his or her way to the finish line.