Visit this NEW POST for up-to-date info on watching and tracking the 2018 Boston Marathon!
Today is that great day known in some states as “Patriots’ Day” or “Patriot’s Day” that is commemorated for the first battles of the Revolutionary War. However, it is more widely known by runners around the world as the day of the 2017 Boston Marathon!
The Boston Marathon is easily one of the top goals of many marathoner all over (including mine!). This race is legendary and there have been many greats who have run the same steps that over 30,000 runners will be running today. Do you have a friend or loved one running the 2017 Boston Marathon? Or, maybe you are like me and just love watching this incredible race! Either way, here is how you can track and watch the 2017 Boston Marathon!
How to Track & Watch the 2017 Boston Marathon
Here is a run-down on the schedule of events for the Boston Marathon:
- Mobility Impaired – 8:50 am
- Push Rim Wheelchair – 9:17 am
- Handcycles – 9:22 am
- Elite Women – 9:32 am
- Elite Men and Wave One – 10:00 am
- Wave Two – 10:25 am
- Wave Three – 10:50 am
- Wave Four – 11:15 am
As you can see, there is a total of 2 hours and 25 minutes separating the starting gun for the very first group of entrants until the last, which is Wave Four. From the start of the main field until the last wave, there is a difference of 1 hour and 15 minutes. If there is a particular marathoner you wanted to track, it will help to know which wave they are in.
This is the breakdown of waves by bib number:
- Wave 1 – 101 – 7,700
- Wave 2 – 8,000 – 15,600
- Wave 3 – 16,000 – 23,600
- Wave 4 – 24,000 – 32,500
Tracking Runners
The Boston Athletic Association has you covered when it comes to keeping an eye on either the elite runners or your friends and family that are running. There is a map available that will show you their progress along the course – found here.
In addition, you can also set up a list of your favorite runners and it will update throughout the race as the runners reach each 5K split. You can add runners and set that up here.
This is a great way to see all of the runners on one page. Just remember as you watch it, there may be a delay depending the different waves that your runners are starting in.
Watching the 2017 Boston Marathon Online
Again this year, you can actually watch the Boston Marathon live. I realize not everyone may find this as fun, but I love watching marathons! It is always neat to see how the various elites handle the course, each other, weather, etc. If you do not want to watch the whole marathon, turning it anytime after the halfway point should bring you up to date while still yielding exciting breaks.
To watch it live, click here.
Finish Line Cam
Finally, what if you want to watch your friends come in? Universal Sports has you covered again with their finish line cam. This way, you can watch them cross that line and feel the excitement with you. This link will take you to that cam.
Weather
As you would expect from a marathon in April in the northeast, the weather here wildly varied over the years. For today, it looks like it will not be raining and it will get up to 72 degrees. That is pretty warm but I am sure many would take that over the freezing rain that has hit here in years past. Also, there are reports that there could be a nice tailwind which should help offset the heat a little. A few years ago with the tailwind, the fastest marathon ever run (up to that point) was run in Boston – a 2:03:02. So, it could get interesting this year!
Takeaway
The Boston Marathon is a big deal! It is a dream of just about every marathoner to one day qualify and run there. If you are not there, at least you can watch the Boston Marathon! I know I will be and will be cheering my friends on who are running there.
Good luck to all of you 2017 Boston Marathon runners!
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