The 128th Boston Marathon is soon to be here, set for the first group of runners to take off this Monday, April 14th at 10:00 AM. The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest marathon and is one of six World Marathon Majors, attracting both professional and amateur racers every year.
The 26.2 miles take racers through 8 towns, starting with Hopkinton, MA, and heading through, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, and Brookline before heading into Boston and sprinting towards the finish line on Boylston Street.
Per the Boston.com article interviewing T.K. Skenderian, the former communications director for the Boston Athletic Association, we have put together the best places to watch the race depending on the type of experience you are looking for!
If you are looking for high energy, crowds, screaming, anticipation, and emotion the starting and finish lines are for you! Both offer the largest crowds and likely the most chaos as well. The starting line can be overly chaotic with all of the runners getting off of buses but it is the only opportunity to see the entire race all at once and feel the anticipation of what lies ahead. The finish line can be described as a powerful experience, between the runners sprinting the last stretch of their 26.2 mile race and the emotion from the 2013 Boston Marathon, the finish line is something you do not want to miss.
If you are in the market for a crowded sideline, party atmosphere, and massive amounts of cheering, Kenmore Square, Cleveland Circle, and Heartbreak Hill (Newton) may be for you. Heartbreak Hill draws large crowds due to it being what most runners consider one of the hardest parts of the race, scream on the runners as they use all of their energy trying to get to the top. Cleveland Circle is found to be a popular location due to it being accessible from the B, C, and D branches of the Green Line. Kenmore Square is considered a party, especially if you time it just right and get to the location as fans are leaving Fenway from (hopefully) a Red Sox win!
Like crowds but not too big of a crowd? The Natick and Wellesley Center parts of the race offer great atmospheres for families to cheer on their runners but do not draw an overwhelming amount of people.
Lastly, if you are looking for a calmer atmosphere to find your spouse, family member, or friend then the Ashland or Framingham parts of the route may be just for you! These parts of the race typically draw the smallest crowds but give racers the opportunity to stop and say hi to family/friends. These locations also allow fans to see their runners and then make their way to another part of the race.
