We’ll be on-site at the 2024 Boston Marathon to bring you live updates beginning at 8:30 a.m. EDT on Monday, April 15. Find our live updates on our homepage on race morning.
What Time Does The Boston Marathon Broadcast Start, And How Can I Watch on TV or Live Stream The Race?
The 2024 Boston Marathon is slated for Monday, April 15. The men’s race will start at 9:37 a.m. EDT and the women’s race will begin shortly after at 9:47 a.m. EDT.
Live Local TV Coverage: WCVB Channel 5
If you’re in the area watching from home, live coverage of the Boston Marathon will begin early at 4:00 a.m. EDT and will run all the way through until pretty much the very last finisher at 8:00 p.m. EDT.
The race will be available regionally on all WCVB Channel 5’s Hearst Television-owned stations: WMUR (Manchester, N.H.), WMTW (Portland/Auburn, ME), and WPTZ (Burlington, VT/Plattsburgh, N.Y.).
If you’re not in front of the TV, WCVB television partners will provide coverage on their apps and websites.
If you aren’t located in the Boston area, a VPN may work.
Live National TV Coverage: ESPN
ESPN2 will be providing the national broadcast to the rest of the United States.
ESPN2 will show the race live, with coverage beginning at 8:30 a.m. EDT, and running through both the men’s and women’s elite races, until 12:30 p.m. EDT. ESPN has also committed to pre- and post-race coverage on its flagship highlights show SportsCenter.
You’ll need a cable subscription to watch the national broadcast in the U.S.
International TV Coverage
Canada: TSN/RDS (in French)
Eurosport will carry the broadcast in Europe. For a complete list, take a look here.
Supersport will carry the race in much of Africa.
China: SMG
Brazil: ESPN Brazil
India and Pakistan: Eurosport India
Can I Live Stream the Race Coverage?
Yes, there are a couple of different ways you can live stream Boston.
If you’re either in New England or have a VPN, you can live stream the local feed directly from the channel’s website here.
If you have an EPSN+ subscription, the site and app will be live streaming the ESPN2 broadcast within the U.S.
You can live stream the marathon outside of the U.S. via the Olympic Channel here.
Flotrack will also be live streaming the race outside of the United States (although, it’s just listed as carrying the event in Australia on the B.A.A.’s official announcement). Flotrack has carried the live stream for many Marathon Majors over the years, so give it a try on race day. It requires a monthly subscription to the site. Here’s a link to its Boston coverage page.
A site called Very Local Boston will also have live coverage, but it is listed as only beginning at 12:30 p.m. EDT, which would be after the elite races wrap, suggesting that it may be providing on-course coverage of the mass race and festivities.
The safest bet would be to use a VPN (like ExpressVPN or NordVPN) and try either the local Boston broadcaster’s link, or the Olympic Channel.
What Should You Watch For?
On the men’s side, you’ll want to keep your eyes on Evans Chebet.
The 35-year-old Kenyan has won the two most recent Boston Marathons and will be eyeing a historic three-peat.
Not only that, Chebet was recently left off the Kenyan Olympic Marathon team selection, despite a laundry list of big wins and a personal best of 2:03:00.
But a three-peat won’t be easy for Chebet, as he’ll be up against some of the world’s best marathoners, including the likes of Sisay Lemma, Gabriel Geay, and up-and-comers like Zouhair Talbi.
On the women’s side, Hellen Obiri will be the one to watch.
Obiri is a seasoned veteran of the highest order, now appearing to be at her apex as a road runner.
She’s coming off a stellar 2023, with two wins in Boston and New York on tough courses.
She was able to test out her speed in Houston and now comes to Boston to defend her title and continue her winning streak at the Majors.
How Do I Live Track an Athlete and Find the Full Marathon Results?
Here’s a link to the Boston Marathon official results page.
Will Marathon Handbook Be Doing Any Live Coverage?
Yes, our team of editors and writers will be providing live updates from Boston, beginning about 60 minutes before the race and continuing through to the end of the men’s and women’s races. Follow our live updates for the 2024 Boston Marathon, beginning at 8:30 a.m. EDT on Monday, April 15, right here on the site.
We’ll pin the live updates page to the top on race morning.
