Excited first-timer here, MA resident who lives not far from Hopkinton. My wife's coworker lives less than a 1/2 mile from Athlete's Village (inside the road closures) and offered to let us stay there the night before the race.

I know people are strongly encouraged to take the official transportation to AV...in this case is there any reason I won't be able to just walk into Athlete's Village? What time should I plan on arriving (I'm in wave 2, 10:25 start)? I definitely want time to take in the Athlete's Village experience, but in the event of questionable weather want to be able to maximize pre-race indoor time (and private toilet access).

My wife is planning on walking with me to AV, then continuing on to the start line area to see me off, then walking back to her car to drive to the finish. But she'll be parked (barely) inside the road closure zone. Will "residents" inside the zone be allowed to drive OUT? Any idea when the road closures lift and she would definitely be able to start driving to the finish?

Thanks!

Hey everyone!

This will be my first Boston! Can anyone who’s run it before give some suggestions on what to bring to the start line? I saw we can only bring a gallon’s worth of stuff. So I’m guessing we just have to wear our race shoes to the start?

Thanks!

Hi,

I am staying at my aunt’s place. Her place is a 10 minute drive from the Boston Start Line. Is there a way I can just get dropped off there?

I feel like it would be a waste of time going to the 52 street to take a shuttle that would take like 30 minutes when she could just drop me off there.

She also would like to watch me start.

Ran my longest run (20) last weekend on the Course. To the Newton Fire Station & back. Felt like the best run of my life

Advice for pacing on Race Day? Am I in line to run a sub 4?

Prior to this I hadn’t run a long run lower than 9:10 avg.

This run felt so good I wish it was Marathon Monday I would have crushed it

First timer! When do the finish line and grand stands get taken down? I know finish line itself is a permanent installation, but if I want a picture with my bib and medal, would Tuesday be ok?

I’m in wave 1 corral 7. How long is the bus ride from Boston to the start line? Once you get to the starting area, what do people do? I want to conserve energy if possible and not be standing or walking around. Thanks!

The farmers almanac has predicted pleasant weather for both Easter and Patriots day this year. AccuWeather has record breaking weather predictions with winds out of the West at 12 mph (tailwind) and a low of 48 with a high of 64 and sunny..

I know these are useless predictions but so far they are both good signs.

What would be your ideal race condition?

I’m running the Boston Marathon for the first time this year and I’m torn—headphones or no headphones? If you’ve run it before, I’d love to hear your take. Did you wear them or skip them, and why? I really want to soak in the whole experience because it’s such a special day, but I also am scared of bonking without music lol. Thanks in advance!

Hey! We designed a few resources for runners training for Boston that I wanted to share with the community.

1. A daily briefing newsletter with daily updates on the Boston Weather forecast. We've done 3 so far. Written by a sub-2:30 marathoner and Boston finisher!
2. We're sharing those same daily forecasts on our IG.
3. Tailwind Weather App: The two resources above are totally free! But if you're interested in seeing how the weather impacts your goal time or playing around with different variables, we built a simple calculator that adjusts your Boston time based on conditions and it's available in the App Store for a 1-time fee. We have ambitions of turning it into a more sophisticated race calculator/workout tool.

Thanks for listening and hope you have an amazing taper!

On Tuesday morning, the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) announced plans to eliminate qualifying times for 2027 and 2028 in a bold move to make the iconic race more inclusive. Is this true or April fool’s joke? Can’t find any other article mention this

Someone in my family is disabled and cannot stand for too long/can't be in big crowds, but does want to come watch me run/be on the sidelines to take a picture and give me a hug. While they obviously can't be in the city of Boston itself, they want to be as close to the finish line as possible while still being able to drive to the spectating spot. Does anyone have any recommendations as to where that would be? Along the course in Brookline/Newton, or somewhere a bit farther out?

First time Boston Marathon! My family will be attempting to watch me and will have a rental car.

Is it possible to have them drop me off at the start line or at least within 2 miles so I can jog there? I have no idea what the traffic is like.

Also, what time would be safe to be dropped off if my start time is 10am?

Hi all, a few questions on bus loading for past participants. What does a 6:45 bus loading mean in terms of suggested arrival? Should I be there long before or is it ok to get there for 6:45 on the nose? Also, anyone know if coffee shops will be open that early? Would love a coffee for the bus but unsure on my hotels early breakfast. Thanks!

Can anyone advise on how easy/difficult this will be?

I'll be meeting my family at the family meeting points on Stuart Street after the race and I'd like to head up to the Seaport to get something to eat to celebrate (I'm coming from London and the Seaport area is still missing from my itinerary for my trip!)

It says its an easy trip on the T, but having done the London marathon I know how hectic public transport can get on race day (they sometimes shut stations etc). Is thinking we can all hop on the T after the race being naive? Thanks in advance!

I really want to get an idea of whether people think there will be enough jackets on Saturday at the expo. I am thinking of buying one online because I’m afraid they’ll sell out. This is my first one and could be my last so I’m not missing out on getting one. However, if there’s an abundance of them I would rather pick up in Boston during the weekend. Buying online seems not as rewarding. Anyone have any good insights? Thanks.

Have not run Boston in several years. Is there still a shuttle from state park to start? What times does it run if so?

Sounds like no finish line bag drop off which if fine. Thanks.

I'm wave 4 starting af 11am, my family wants to see me at mile 18 with a car and then drive and park in back bay garage to see me finish (from an event hotel overlooking Boylston, no chance to get a good spot at that time on street level probably). Will the Pru garage or others nearby be accessible and spots available at 1:30pm?

If getting there on day 1 is it reasonable to expect most things not to be sold out? I really don’t want to buy anything else ahead of time

Hi all,

I will be running the Boston 5K this year prior to the Boston Marathon. Does anyone know if there will be a bag drop-off or if not, can we run with a backpack with some warm clothes for after the run?

Thanks!!

Dear All, I've my wife and 2 children (7 & 4 yo) as spectators, but I'm not sure route and where to watch me crossing finish line (or after or before)... We stay In AKA BACKBAY (154 berkeley street), but as you can see on image, grey area is only for runners... where and how do you recommend to stay for my family and meeting after crossing line?

http://aftermiles.com

I’m looking to run Boston in either 2026 or 2027 which will have to be through sports tours or charity route.

I live in the UK has anyone gone with any of the tour operators that have tickets? Sports Tours International or 2:09 events

I see they prioritise runners who have been on tours with them before. Just wondering how many tour packages you have bought to get offered a place and how many and still not get a place?

For those who may be looking for a course deep dive, I have that in the video linked below. I even have metric measurements now, that’s a new add. This is really only about race specifics and pacing strategy, I cover logistics and pre/post race things in a different video. Less than a month to go!

https://youtu.be/ScP7CpL5un0?si=mhPc4iv2uWOd3mnc