Live updates on the 2024 Boston Marathon

More than 30,000 athletes from around the world will complete the 26.2-mile route through Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline and Boston on marathon Monday.

Follow Beacon reporters covering the marathon throughout the day.

Read full coverage of the Beacon's Marathon.

Happy Marathon Monday! – 5 am

The 128th Boston Marathon is here.

The Boston Marathon is the oldest annual marathon in the world. Since 1897, athletes have traveled through the eight cities along the 26.2-mile route to experience the historic race.

Walk with us through the race and experience all the big and small moments of this legendary day.

What is today's schedule? – 5:30 in the morning

Military march – 6:00 a.m

Men's Wheelchair – 9:02am

Women’s Wheelchair – 9:05am

Handbikes and Duos – 9:30 a.m

Professional Men – 9:37am

Working Women – 9:47am

Para Athletics Division – 9:50am

Wave 1 – 10:00 a.m. ET

Wave 2 – 10:25 a.m. ET

Wave 3 – 10:50 a.m. ET

Wave 4 – 11:15 a.m. ET

Read everything you need to know about today's race here.

The Trailblazing Women of the Boston Marathon – 6:00 p.m

By Anna Knepley

At the Boston Marathon in Boston, men ran 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boylston St for 69 years before the first woman walked the course. Even then, women weren't officially allowed to register for the marathon until 1972, six years after that gender barrier was broken.

Read more here.

Emerson faculty and alumni run the 2024 Boston Marathon – 6:30 p.m

By Bryan Hecht

Today is race day for two Emerson alumni.

Writing, Literature and Publishing (WLP) faculty member and Emerson alumni Mary Shertenlieb is running the Boston Marathon for the fourth time in the 2024 race and her fifth marathon overall. A three-time leukemia survivor, Shertenlieb will run the marathon to raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a cause that has been close to her heart since her treatment there in 2013.

Read more here.

Hopkinton's starting line comes to life with early morning preparation – 7:03 a.m

By Sam Shipman and Bryan Hecht

The sleepy town of Hopkinton was alive this morning as dozens of workers and volunteers built the infrastructure of today's marathon start line.

Brian Quagliaroli, a member of the pre-production operations team for construction of the start and finish line, said his team arrived at 5:30 a.m. to begin final preparations. He has been working toward the finish line since last Wednesday and described the entire process as “hectic” but “organized chaos.”

“Honestly, honestly, I break it down [is my favorite part of the weekend]said Quagliaroli. “[But] It's fun to see everyone enjoying it and what it's like, especially after 2013 [brought] all closer than the city and community.”

Matt Auger, a Cape Cod native, is the Boston Atheltic Association (BAA) liaison to the Hopkinton Command Center, the eye in the sky that oversees racing operations. He is a contract worker for DMSE, a logistics coordination company for many racing events, and has competed in 12 marathons. He said activity really picks up around 6:30 a.m

“We have road closures. We ensure public safety. We have all different components coming to town,” Auger said. He and his team communicate with race officials along the route to ensure that the starting signal can be fired at the scheduled time.

Auger said his favorite part of marathon day used to be running the course after the main event and finishing with Dave McGillivray, Boston Marathon race director and DMSE president, but he can't do that this year, so he's looking forward to working with him his wife in the command center as she is working on a voluntary basis today.

About 10,000 volunteers work the entire route, including 60 at the Hopkinton location, said Andy Deshane, a Grafton native and the race's start director. There was a sense of excitement and optimism among many volunteers.

“I think just the fact that the community is rallying around everyone and the great athletes that are coming out and showing off their skills [is so amazing]said Linda Morrissey, a Franklin native and para-athlete tent volunteer.

Lou Monghie is a 70-year-old Hopkinton native who has been participating in the marathon for 30 years. A volunteer at the information booth, he said the marathon has changed a lot during his tenure, especially since the 2013 bombings.

“[It’s] completely different. Too many rules and regulations,” he said.

Deshane, who in his words is the man who “says go,” arrived in Hopkinton at 4:30 a.m. to begin basic setup and put the “finishing touches” on the race infrastructure.

Although it will be a busy day of hustle and bustle, “My favorite part is at two in the afternoon when everything is sorted out and gone and it looks like Hopkinton again,” he said.