130th Boston Marathon — Expo & Marathon Week Events
- Marathon Monday plus week-long community events and pre-race activities across the region, including the athlete expo and ceremonies. - When: Marathon Monday, April 20, 2026, with lead-up events during the prior week. - Full schedule and event information: wcvb.com
Boston Marathon week in 2026 stretched well beyond Monday’s race, with public events running from April 17 through April 20 across Boston and Hopkinton. (baa.org) The race itself marked the 130th Boston Marathon, held on Monday, April 20, 2026, and the Boston Athletic Association said 32,494 participants were entered, with about 30,000 expected to run. The field included runners from 137 countries, all 50 states, and 4,698 Massachusetts residents. (baa.org) The biggest pre-race draw for runners was the Bank of America Boston Marathon Expo at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center on Boylston Street. The expo ran Friday, April 17, through Sunday, April 19, and was free and open to the public. (baa.org) The expo is where participants pick up bibs and where fans can browse sponsor booths, the adidas store, and live stage programming. This year’s schedule included talks on running technology, Indigenous running history, and a panel with American marathoner Conner Mantz. (baa.org) Another public gathering point was Fan Fest at City Hall Plaza, which also ran April 17 through April 19. The Boston Athletic Association said Fan Fest was free and featured live music, podcast recordings, food vendors, beer, and appearances by Boston Marathon champions. (baa.org) The week also carried Boston’s civic rituals around the race. WCVB reported that crews planned to paint the starting line in Hopkinton on Wednesday, April 15, weather permitting, and the finish line in Back Bay on Thursday, April 16. (wcvb.com) Wednesday, April 15, was also One Boston Day, the city’s annual observance tied to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. WCVB reported that residents were encouraged to perform acts of kindness and that a memorial ceremony was expected along Boylston Street. (wcvb.com) Saturday, April 18, brought the weekend’s shorter races before the marathon itself. WCVB said about 10,000 athletes were expected in the Boston 5K at 8 a.m., followed by the B.A.A. Invitational Mile at 11 a.m. and the Youth Mile at 1 p.m. (wcvb.com) The Boston Athletic Association later said 9,306 runners finished the Boston 5K on April 18, with wheelchair winners Marcel Hug and Tatyana McFadden leading the field. Addisu Yihune won the men’s race in 13:14, an event record, and Gela Hambese won the women’s race in 15:28. (baa.org) On Marathon Monday, racing began in Hopkinton with the wheelchair division at 9:06 a.m., and the latest starting wave was scheduled for 11:21 a.m. The week’s events ended where Boston Marathon week usually does: on Boylston Street, with the finish line back in place and the city centered on the race. (wcvb.com)
