Boston Marathon race‑day

The 2026 Boston Marathon is set for Monday, April 20, with 30,000 expected runners and a new six-wave start designed to spread crowds out from Hopkinton to Boylston Street. (baa.org) The Boston Athletic Association said the 130th race drew 32,494 entrants, including runners from 137 countries and all 50 states, with 30,000 expected to start on race day. The field includes 4,698 Massachusetts residents and 116 non-binary entrants. (baa.org) This year’s biggest logistics change is the move from four start waves to six. The Boston Athletic Association said the smaller waves, ranging from 3,200 to 7,100 runners, are meant to improve bus loading, the Athletes’ Village flow, and congestion on the course, with all runners expected to cross the start before 11:30 a.m. (baa.org) The race still follows the traditional 26.2-mile point-to-point route, starting on Main Street in Hopkinton and passing through Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, and Boston before the finish in Copley Square. Boston.com’s race guide notes that the field again mixes professional contenders with thousands of charity runners. (boston.com) For spectators, the Boston Athletic Association urged people to plan ahead because the course is not a loop and road closures begin early. Hopkinton closures start at about 7 a.m., and the association said spectators cannot enter the course or run alongside participants. (baa.org) The official spectator guide points fans to town-by-town viewing plans and transit options, including the Ashland commuter rail stop and limited parking at Hopkinton State Park. It also highlights a sensory-friendly viewing area in Wellesley near mile 13.5 at the Tolles Parsons Center. (baa.org 1) (baa.org 2) Race week also carries the marathon’s usual mix of elite sport and local ritual. Boston.com reported that 2025 champions John Korir and Sharon Lokedi are among the headliners returning to a field that remains one of the anchors of the Abbott World Marathon Majors. (boston.com) Organizers are also leaning into the event’s community scale. The Boston Athletic Association said more than 10,000 volunteers, including 1,800 medical volunteers, are supporting the race, and the official charity program is aiming to top last year’s record $50.4 million raised. (baa.org) So the clearest way to read this year’s Boston Marathon is as both a major road race and a citywide operation: a 26.2-mile course, six staggered starts, and thousands of runners, volunteers, and spectators moving through eight communities on one Monday morning. (baa.org 1) (baa.org 2)