BOSTON – In preparation for Monday’s 128th running of the Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America, we invite media members to review helpful resources, statistics, and storylines. We look forward to welcoming you to tomorrow’s race and wish the best of luck to all participants as they make their way from Hopkinton to Boston.
As a reminder, accredited media are not allowed on the race course at any time. Media must stay off the roadway, and are only allowed in designated Media areas or in public spectator areas.
Boston Marathon Media Resources (Media Guide / Professional Athlete Bios / Uniform Guide)
Visit our Boston Marathon Media Resources page (https://bstnmar.org/Media) for up-to-date start lists, links, and information. This year’s Media Guide, Uniform Guide, Participant Guide, Official Program, start lists, splits, transcripts, courtesy photos, and results are available within the Media Resources page.
Live Tracking & Results – www.baa.org
Live tracking for participants and live leaderboards can be found at both www.baa.org and within the Boston Marathon Racing App presented by TCS. Official results will be made available within the press room as soon as they are finalized.
Boston Marathon Racing App presented by TCS -- https://www.baa.org/baa-mobile-app
Live tracking, interactive course maps, cheer cards, leaderboards, and more are available within the Boston Marathon Racing App presented by TCS. The mobile app is free to download.
In-Race Mile Splits -- https://bstnmar.org/24BMMileSplits
Mile splits are available in real time for members of the media through this link: https://bstnmar.org/24BMMileSplits. Splits for the men’s, women’s, men’s wheelchair, and women’s wheelchair leaders will be updated throughout the race.
Press Conferences
Press conferences with top finishers, race champions, and other notable athletes will be held within the Grand Ball Room press center following the conclusion of all four professional races. Transcripts and audio recordings will be available upon the conferences’ conclusion. As a reminder, we ask media not to take personal photographs with any professional athletes as a matter of courtesy to the athletes and your fellow working media professionals.
Mixed Zone *NEW LOCATION FOR 2024*
Members of the media looking to interview general athletes may do so at the designated mixed zone area located at the northeast intersection of Boylston Street & Dartmouth Street. To access this area from the Fairmont Hotel, you must walk down Berkeley or Clarendon Streets to Boylston Street, then turn left. From Newbury Street or points north, you may enter this location via the Dartmouth Street/Boylston Street intersection. A map of this area will be available within the press center.
B.A.A. representatives will be on hand to help coordinate athlete availability upon request within the mixed zone.
Where To Watch
This year’s Boston Marathon will be aired live in its entirely throughout New England on WCVB-Channel 5 (coverage from 4:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.), and nationally on ESPN2 from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Internationally, it will be aired on a variety of networks. Listings and information can be found here.
NOTABLE STATISTICS:
- 29,451 participants are entered in Monday’s Race
- 16,803 Men, 12,595 Women, 53 Non-Binary Entrants
- Residents of 118 Countries and All 50 U.S. States
- Citizens of 129 Countries
- 4,464 Massachusetts Residents
- 9,900 Volunteers, including 1,600 Medical Volunteers
- Goal of $50 million fundraised through the Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program.
- 168 non-profits are part of the Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program
- 17 Boston Marathon champions among the field
- 26 miles, 385 yards through 8 cities and towns
- Estimated economic impact at $200+ million for the Greater Boston economy
- $1,214,500 across Open, Wheelchair, and Para Athletics Divisions (including $50,000 course record bonus for open and wheelchair athletes)
SCHEDULE OF STARTS:
- 6:00 a.m. ET – Military Marchers
- 9:02 a.m. ET – Wheelchair Division – Men
- 9:05 a.m. ET – Wheelchair Division – Women
- 9:30 a.m. ET – Handcycle & Duo Participants
- 9:37 a.m. ET – Professional Men
- 9:47 a.m. ET – Professional Women
- 9:50 a.m. ET – Para Athletics Divisions
- 10:00 a.m. ET – Wave 1
- 10:25 a.m. ET – Wave 2
- 10:50 a.m. ET – Wave 3
- 11:15 a.m. ET – Wave 4
BOSTON MARATHON COURSE RECORDS:
- Men’s Open: Geoffrey Mutai (Kenya), 2:03:02, 2011
- Women’s Open: Buzunesh Deba (Ethiopia), 2:19:59, 2014
- Men’s Wheelchair: Marcel Hug (Switzerland), 1:17:06, 2023
- Women’s Wheelchair: Manuela Schär (Switzerland), 1:28:17, 2017
NOTABLE ENTRANTS & BIB NUMBERS:
- Meb Keflezighi, 2014 Boston Marathon champion (most recent American men’s open division champion) – Bib 2014
- Amby Burfoot, 1968 Boston Marathon champion – Bib 1968
- Zdeno Chara, former Boston Bruins captain – Bib 3333
- Nicolas Kiefer, former tennis world no.4, Olympic silver medalist in men’s doubles – Bib 2004
- Daniel Humm, Michelin Star award-winning chef and restaurateur – Bib 6757
- Matt Wilpers, fitness coach and well-known trainer – Bib 30066
- Chris Nikic, first person with Down Syndrome to complete the Hawaii Ironman; also an Abbott Six Star Finisher – Bib 7796
- Dave McGillivray, Boston Marathon Race Course Director – Bib 100
NEWS & NOTES:
National Anthem: Ayla Brown, a Massachusetts native and finalist on American Idol. Ayla is a country music recording artist and morning show co-host on Country 102-5.
Flyover: Two F-35’s from the 158th Fighter Wing out of the Vermont Air National Guard will fly from Hopkinton to Boston in approximately 4 minutes.
Grand Marshal: Rob Gronkowski, four-time Super Bowl champion. Gronkowski will ride down the course in the all-new 2024 All-Electric Honda Prologue.
Official Starters:
- Men’s & Women’s Wheelchair Division: Maddie Wilson, a local rising star in wheelchair racing. From Auburn, Mass., Maddie has completed many of the B.A.A. Distance Medley events –including Saturday’s Boston 5K—and recently won a high school national title racing on the track indoors.
- Handcycle & Dup Participants: Troy Hoyt, grandson and nephew of the late Dick & Rick Hoyt. Troy is running his fourth Boston Marathon to raise money for Team Hoyt. Team Hoyt is celebrating the tenth anniversary since Dick & Rick’s final Boston Marathon in 2014.
- Professional Men: Neil Cusack, 1974 Boston Marathon Champion celebrating the 50th anniversary of his win. Neil is the only athlete from Ireland to win the Boston Marathon.
- Professional Women: Joan Benoit Samuelson, 1979 & 1983 Boston Marathon Champion also celebrating the 40th anniversary of winning gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Marathon.
- Para Athletics Division: Christina Whelton, a member of Boston's renowned Brown family. It is customary for a member of the Brown family to start one of the races on Patriots' Day.
- Wave 1: Jack Leduc. Jack grew up just a block from the marathon course, and has held a number of roles over the years including start line painter, announcer, and member of the Boston Marathon Organizing Committee. Jack has also served in the United States military.
- Wave 2: Tom Griffin, retired Hopkinton Police Officer with a distinguished 40+ year career with the Hopkinton Fire & Police Department.
- Wave 3: Paul Fitzgerald, who has facilitated the use of the DELL Technologies buildings for Parking & Transportation on race day for over 30 years.
- Wave 4: Sharon Lisnow & Mary McQueeney, Founder and Director of the Michael Carter Lisnow Respite Center in Hopkinton.
Boston Marathon Champions Racing in the Professional Open & Wheelchair Field
Open Division:
- Hellen Obiri (Kenya; also an Olympic medalist)
- Evans Chebet (Kenya)
- Edna Kiplagat (Kenya)
- Des Linden (USA)
- Caroline Rotich (USA)
Wheelchair Division:
- Manuela Schär (Switzerland)
- Marcel Hug (Switzerland
- Daniel Romanchuk (USA)
- Joshua Cassidy (Canada)
Not Running but in Attendance as Ambassadors:
Neil Cusack, Bill Rodgers, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Patti Dillon, Marilyn Bevans, and Greg Meyer.
NOTABLE STORYLINES:
B.A.A. Mission: Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running.
B.A.A. Vision: Committed to a world where all people can access and benefit from running and an active lifestyle.
History in the Making: 100 Years in Hopkinton
2024 marks the 100th anniversary of the Boston Marathon start line moving from Ashland to Hopkinton in 1924. In an effort to align the Boston Marathon with the official Olympic Marathon distance of 26.2 miles, the start was moved from Ashland to Hopkinton, where it has remained for a century. In 1924, 147 entrants participated in the Boston Marathon; this year will feature nearly 30,000 entrants. 812,224 athletes have been entered in the Boston Marathon in the 99 years since Hopkinton first served as the start line (1924-2023).
Hopkinton has taken great pride in welcoming the world with open arms each April, playing host to numerous pioneering moments, including the first wheelchair division (1975), the women’s running movement (1966-1972), growth of the Para Athletics Division, and more. Race Distance in Hopkinton is 1.90 miles (7.25% of the race route).
Star-Studded Professional Field Set to Compete
Defending champions Evans Chebet, Hellen Obiri, and Marcel Hug lead a global field of top professional athletes racing from Hopkinton to Boston. Chebet is aiming to become the first three-peat winner in the men’s open division since Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot in 2006-2008. Obiri, a two-time Olympic medalist, won her Boston Marathon debut last April then went on to win New York City. She’s a provisional member of Kenya’s Olympic team.
Hug is a Boston champion and Paralympic Marathon favorite, set to represent Switzerland in Paris later this year. Among the top American entrants are 2018 champion Des Linden, last year’s fifth place finisher Emma Bates, 50K world record holder CJ Albertson, and B.A.A. High Performance team member Matt McDonald. Also running is world’s fourth-fastest man Sisay Lemma (personal best of 2:01:48), and two-time winner Edna Kiplagat.
The Beginning of a New Era with Bank of America
2024 marks the first year Bank of America serves as presenting partner of the Boston Marathon
As a running and community leader, the B.A.A. will work hand in hand with Bank of America to bring the Boston Marathon’s impact and reach to new heights—both on a national and global scale—in the years ahead.
The Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program features 168 non-profit organizations with a goal of raising $50 million around this year’s race. More information on the Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program can be found here: https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/charity-program
10 Years Later: Reflecting on Meb’s Victory in 2014
Returning to race on the 10-year anniversary of his memorable 2014 win is Meb Keflezighi.
Meb became the first American man since 1983 to win, triumphantly crossing the finish first one year following the bombing. This year, Meb will again run the Boston Marathon as part of the MEB Foundation in celebration of his resounding victory.
B.A.A. in the Community
True to its vision, the B.A.A. is committed to a world where all people can access and benefit from a healthy lifestyle. Beyond mass-participatory races, the B.A.A. supports numerous events and community initiatives that impact more than 20 Massachusetts communities. Among the B.A.A.’s community events beyond the Boston Marathon include the B.A.A. Neighborhood Fitness Series, BRC Youth Track Meets, B.A.A. Gives Back Grant Program and Road to Wellness 5K in Roxbury. 9,000+ youths are served annually throughout 22 communities in Massachusetts, with $450,000+ invested towards access to health & fitness.