Boston Marathon shapes up
The 130th Boston Marathon is set for April 20 with more than 30,000 runners entered from 137 countries and all 50 states, making this one of the deepest fields in recent years ( ). Forecasts are trending 5–15°F below normal — cool and dry — and coverage flags notable entrants including an astronaut, a former Love Island USA winner, and the daughter of a former president ( ).
Boston’s 130th Marathon is shaping up as a big, cool-weather race day, with 30,000 expected runners set to start on Monday, April 20. (baa.org) The Boston Athletic Association says 32,494 people are entered, with 30,000 expected to run, representing 137 countries, all 50 states, and 4,698 Massachusetts residents. (baa.org) The field is deeper than usual at the front, too. The Boston Athletic Association said in January that the men’s professional field alone included 25 athletes with personal bests under 2 hours, 7 minutes, and eight of the top 10 men from 2025 are back. (baa.org) All four defending open and wheelchair champions are entered, alongside American record holders Conner Mantz and Emily Sisson, which the Boston Athletic Association said is believed to be a first for the race. (baa.org) Race organizers also changed the start. The 2026 marathon will use six waves instead of four, with the Boston Athletic Association saying the shift is meant to reduce crowding from bus loading in Boston through the early miles in Hopkinton. (baa.org) The overall field size did not change, but the six waves now range from about 3,200 to 7,100 runners, compared with roughly 7,500 in each wave in recent years. Organizers said all runners are still expected to cross the start before 11:30 a.m., and the finish line will close at 5:30 p.m. (baa.org) The route is the familiar 26.2-mile run from Main Street in Hopkinton through Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, and into Boston, ending on Boylston Street near Copley Square. (boston.com) The weather outlook points to a cooler race than runners often get in late April. Weather.com’s monthly forecast for Boston shows a high near 49 degrees and a low near 34 degrees on April 20, versus April averages of 56 and 40, matching local reports that conditions are trending below normal. (weather.com) The entry list also reaches beyond elite racing. The Boston Globe’s marathon coverage says notable runners include Chelsea Clinton, astronaut Suni Williams, and Bryan Arenales, the Season 6 winner of “Love Island USA.” (bostonglobe.com) Boston remains the world’s oldest annual marathon, and it still mixes a hard-to-get qualifying race with charity entries and a holiday crowd on Patriots’ Day. This year’s version adds a larger international field, a denser pro race, and a cooler forecast to a course that usually turns weather and pacing into the story by midday. (boston.com) By next Monday morning, the attention will shift from start waves and forecasts to the same question Boston always asks: who still has legs left when the course reaches Newton and Boylston Street. (baa.org)
