Where to Watch the Boston Marathon

Boston, the city that kicked off a revolution, still mourns the loss of Babe Ruth and takes pride in dropping the “R” in conversation, also hosts one of the country’s greatest feats of athletics, the Boston Marathon. The Boston Marathon (celebrating 120 years in 2016) is hosted by the Boston Athletic Association and is always held on Patriot’s Day, a special Massachusetts holiday celebrating the April 18, 1775, shot “heard round the world” when the Battle of Lexington and Concord jumpstarted the American Revolution.

The hilly 26.2-mile race may not cover Paul Revere’s infamous midnight ride, but it does take runners from the starting point in the country town of Hopkinton and weaves its way through Natick, Framingham, Wellesley, Newton and finally back into Boston for a splendid finish in the heart of Copley Square.

Looking to watch the marathon? Attendees should position themselves about a mile from the starting line where the crowds of well-wishers start to thin out or take the train to Framingham, where you’ll be able to see runners around the eight-mile mark. Head to Wellesley (between the 11–16 mile stretch) for one of the liveliest bunches of watchers, as the women from Wellesley College infamously cheer from the section near their campus and dispense kisses to runners. About five miles up the course join the students from Boston University as they bring a crowd to cheer on the runners. This stretch is where runners need the most cheering as it turns into Heartbreak Hill, the most difficult part of the marathon, where runners’ races are made and broken, thanks to the hilliest part of the course.

Want to be closer to the end action? Stake your place on Boylston Street, from Fenway Park (where the annual Red Sox morning game might be just letting out) to the last .2 miles in Copley Square where integrity and superhuman strength are on show as runners finish the marathon hand-in-hand.