Monday morning's Boston Marathon is full of sunrise in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.
It's a day of celebration, road closures and a dazzling race as we reach the 130-year milestone.
From weather forecast to start time, schedule and route map, we've got you covered.
The 2026 Boston Marathon is expected to draw more than 30,000 athletes from nearly 130 countries, with participants from all 50 U.S. states, according to the Boston Athletic Association.
The Boston Marathon is a tough nut to crack and it gets tougher with each passing year.
According to the BMA, “this year's cutoff time needed to be accepted into the Boston Marathon was four minutes, thirty-four seconds or faster (4:34) than the qualifying time for each respective age group and gender.”
Where is the Boston Marathon going?
The Boston Marathon begins on Main Street in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.
Athletes will then follow Route 135 through Ashland, Framingham, Natick and Wellesley to where Route 135 turns onto Route 16.
The course continues along Route 16 to the Commonwealth Avenue fire station, where runners will turn right and begin the Newton Hills leg.
After Heartbreak Hill, from miles 20 to 21, runners will cross the Chestnut Hill Reservoir before turning left onto Beacon Street.
From there, runners will have approximately four miles to the finish line.
They will continue through Brookline, Kenmore Square and under Massachusetts Avenue.
Finally, the iconic corners await you at the end: right onto Hereford Street and left onto Boylston Street for the final sprint.
The marathon finish line is located near the Boston Public Library in Copley Square.
What time does the Boston Marathon start today?
The 130th Boston Marathon will begin the first men's wheelchair race at 9:06 a.m. ET with the following start times for athletes competing in the day's races as directed by the association.
Women's wheelchair at 9:09 a.m. ET
Participants in Handcycle and Duo at 9:30 am ET
Professional Men at 9:37 a.m. ET
Professional Women at 9:47 am ET
Para Athletics Divisions at 9:50 am ET
Wave 1 at 10 a.m. ET
Wave 2 at 10:25 am ET
Wave 3 at 10:50 am ET
Wave 4 at 11:15 am ET
The 2026 Boston Marathon will be covered live on ABC for all Boston area viewers, with the broadcast beginning at 4 a.m. this morning, Monday, April 20, 2026.
