For the first time in 3 years, the Boston Marathon is being run live on Patriots’ Day in Boston! There are over 28,000 runners that are getting ready to take off on this epic journey. If you have friends or family running or are just interested in it, here is how to track and watch the 2022 Boston Marathon!
How to Track & Watch the 2022 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 28,000 runners will be running today. Do you have a friend or loved one running the 2022 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 2022 Boston Marathon!
Schedule of Events for the 2022 Boston Marathon
Here is a run-down on the schedule of events for the Boston Marathon:
- 9:02 a.m. ET – Wheelchair Division – Men’s Start
- 9:05 a.m. ET – Wheelchair Division – Women’s Start
- 9:30 a.m. ET – Handcycle & Duo Participants Start
- 9:37 a.m. ET – Professional Men’s Start
- 9:45 a.m. ET – Professional Women’s Start
- 9:50 a.m. ET – Para Athletics Division Start
- 10:00 a.m. ET – Wave 1 Start
- 10:23 a.m. ET – Men’s Wheelchair Division, Approximate finish time
- 10:25 a.m. ET – Wave 2 Start
- 10:37 a.m. ET – Women’s Wheelchair Division, Approximate finish time.
- 10:50 a.m. ET – Wave 3 Start
- 11:15 a.m. ET – Wave 4 Start
As you can see, there is a total of 2 hours and 13 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 – 261 – 7,800 (Red)
- Wave 2 – 8,000 – 15,999 (White)
- Wave 3 – 16,000 – 23,999 (Blue)
- Wave 4 – 24,000 – 30,000 (Yellow)
Tracking Runners in the 2022 Boston Marathon
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.
This will help you follow each runner with 5km intervals throughout the race. Make sure you note which wave they are starting in so you are not stuck waiting for a long time – only to find they haven’t started yet! 🙂
Watching the 2022 Boston Marathon
If you are local to the Boston area, you can catch all the action on CBS affiliate, WBZ-TV. Coverage has already started and will end this afternoon at 5PM local time. You can also stream it from the WBZ-TV website – but, again, this is available only for locals.
If you are outside the Boston area (like me!) and you want to catch the coverage, you can watch it on USA Network until 1PM and it will replace later tonight (8PM) on the Olympic Channel. If you want something online, it can be streamed on NBC Sports or the Peacock network site as well.
CBS Boston should have a finish line camera live from 12:15 so you can check that out as well.
Who to Watch in the 2022 Boston Marathon
Early reports say that this should be an awesome weather day for a marathon and you have almost 30,000 runners that have been waiting a long time for this chance! In the crowd are many runners that are capable of winning the whole thing, especially since 6 of them have already won it:
- Benson Kipruto (2021 winner from Kenya)
- Lawrence Cherono (2019 winner from Kenya)
- Yuki Kawauchi (2018 winner from Japan)
- Geoffrey Kirui (2017 winner from Kenya)
- Lemi Berhanu (2016 winner from Ethiopia)
- Lelisa Desisa (2013 and 2015 winner from Ethiopia)
This lineup, plus others, has people saying that this is the fastest field in Boston Marathon history.
On the women’s side, it is a special year as it marks 50 years of women being able to run in this event. Keep an eye on these women as many have run under 2:21 and two of them are Olympic medalists in the marathon:
- Peres Jepchirchir (Olympic gold medalist from Kenya)
- Molly Seidel (Olympic bronze medalist from the US)
- Joyciline Jepkosgei (Kenya)
- Edna Kiplagat (2017 Boston Marathon winner from Kenya)
- Des Linden (2018 Boston Marathon winner from the US)
- Degitu Azimeraw (Ethiopia)
- Nell Rojas (US)
- Stephanie Bruce (US – last time running Boston, professionally)
I am excited to follow along with the Boston Marathon today, especially given all the awesome story lines. I have many friends running there so will be cheering them along and watching the battle for the podium develop.
Featured image courtesy of Marcio Jose Bastos Silva via Shutterstock
