Boston start times & streaming
Race‑day starts for the Boston Marathon will be staggered between 9:00 a.m. and 11:21 a.m., with athletes finishing throughout the day under the published schedule (boston.com). Nationwide streaming access will also be available through the Very Local app for viewers who want live coverage (nationaltoday.com).
The 2026 Boston Marathon will roll out in stages on Monday, April 20, with the first athletes leaving Hopkinton at 9 a.m. and the last mass-start wave going off at 11:21 a.m. (baa.org) The Boston Athletic Association said the day begins with the men’s wheelchair division at 9:02 a.m., the women’s wheelchair division at 9:05 a.m., handcycles and duos at 9:30 a.m., professional men at 9:37 a.m., professional women at 9:47 a.m., and para athletics divisions at 9:50 a.m. (baa.org) The mass field follows in six waves: 10 a.m., 10:25 a.m., 10:50 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 11:18 a.m., and 11:21 a.m. The Boston Athletic Association said the six-wave format was updated for 2026. (baa.org) For viewers, WCVB’s race-day coverage starts at 4 a.m. in Boston, with the professional race broadcast beginning at 9 a.m. WCVB said its live coverage will also stream on the Very Local app. (wcvb.com) National viewers will also have ESPN2 and ESPN+ on April 20, while Hearst stations said Very Local will carry a national stream for people outside the Northeast starting at 12:30 p.m. Eastern. (espn.com) (4029tv.com) That split coverage matches how the race unfolds: elite and adaptive divisions start first, then the larger amateur field enters the course in waves, stretching finishes from late morning into the afternoon. The Boston Athletic Association’s spectator guidance tells fans to expect runners all day along the route from Hopkinton to Boylston Street. (baa.org) The race is the 130th Boston Marathon and will be run on Patriots’ Day, Monday, April 20, 2026. The Boston Athletic Association said it expects athletes from around the world for the point-to-point course into Boston. (baa.org) For anyone planning when to tune in or head to the course, the key window starts at 9 a.m. and runs past 11:21 a.m. at the start, then continues for hours at the finish as different divisions and waves reach downtown Boston. (baa.org)
