How to Watch Boston Marathon 2025

The 129th edition of the Boston Marathon takes place on Monday, April 21, 2025, continuing its legacy as one of the world’s most celebrated distance races.

Whether you're cheering for Hellen Obiri as she aims for a three-peat, hoping to see Conner Mantz become the first American male winner since 2014, supporting a friend, or just soaking in the excitement from afar here’s your complete guide to watching the race.

Where to Watch Boston Marathon 2025

For viewers in the U.S., ESPN2 will air the race live, and streaming will be available through ESPN+.

If you're in the Boston area, tune in to WCVB Channel 5 (ABC) for local coverage. You can also stream it on the Boston Very Local app.

Additional coverage will be available via regional ABC affiliates, such as WMUR News 9 (NH), WMTW Channel 8 (ME), and WPTZ NBC5 (VT/NY).

International audiences can check their country’s sports networks or visit the official Boston Marathon website for broadcast details.

Broadcast Start Times

Local coverage on WCVB kicks off early at 4:00 A.M. Eastern Time. ESPN2 will begin national coverage at 9:00 A.M. EDT and continue through 12:30 P.M. EDT.

Start Times for the Race

The 2025 Boston Marathon follows a staggered start format, beginning with the wheelchair division and elite athletes.

Here’s the scheduled start timeline:

• Men’s Wheelchair: 9:06 A.M.
• Women’s Wheelchair: 9:09 A.M.
• Handcycles & Duos: 9:30 A.M.
• Elite Men: 9:37 A.M.
• Elite Women: 9:47 A.M.
• Para Athletics Division: 9:50 A.M.
• Wave 1: 10:00 A.M.
• Wave 2: 10:25 A.M.
• Wave 3: 10:50 A.M.
• Wave 4: 11:15 A.M.

(All times Eastern timezone)

How to Follow Runners

To keep tabs on specific athletes, download the B.A.A. Racing App (available for iOS and Android). You can track runners by name or bib number, get real-time splits, estimated finish times, and receive push notifications as they progress.

Athlete tracking is also accessible on the Boston Athletic Association website.

Participants have until 5:30 P.M. to complete the course.

Additional Highlights to Know

Patriot’s Day in Boston is synonymous with the marathon, and 2025 looks promising with mild spring weather expected, temperatures in the low 50s with some possible rain.

The elite fields are stacked this year. On the men’s side, defending champion Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia will go head-to-head with top competitors like Evans Chebet and John Korir from Kenya, while Americans Conner Mantz and Clayton Young look to make a mark ahead of the Paris Olympics.

In the women’s race, Kenya’s Hellen Obiri returns in pursuit of a third straight victory. She'll face tough competition from Sharon Lokedi (Kenya), Amane Beriso and Yalemzerf Yehualaw (both from Ethiopia).

The U.S. women's field is strong too, with contenders like Keira D’Amato, Sara Hall, Des Linden, Jess McClain, Dakotah Popehn, and Sara Vaughn expected to be in the mix.