There’s nothing like the Boston Marathon. See how the day unfolded. - The Boston Globe (2024)

The weather threw a wrench into the plans of many participants. Temperatures topped out in the mid-60s, prompting a number of scratches and heat-exhaustion injuries along the course.

The Globe provided coverage throughout the day. Here’s how Marathon Monday unfolded.

See the full results of Monday’s race here.

2024 Boston Marathon: Elite race results

• Sisay Lemma, a 33-year-old from Ethiopia, led nearly wire-to-wire to win the men’s elite race. He prevented Evans Chebet from becoming the first man to win three consecutive Marathons in a row since 2008. Read more here.
• Hellen Obiri won her second straight Boston Marathon. She is the sixth woman to win back-to-back titles and the first since Catherine Ndereba in 2005. Read more here.
• Switzerland’s Marcel Hug broke the course record en route to a seventh men’s wheelchair title in Boston. His time of 1 hour, 15 minutes, 33 seconds beat the record he set last year. Read more here.
• Great Britain’s Eden Rainbow-Cooper won the women’s wheelchair title with a time of 1:35:11. The 22-year-old is the first British woman to win Boston in either the open or wheelchair divisions. Read more here.
• See how the elite races unfolded, mile-by-mile.

Stories you may have missed from Marathon Monday

• In Wellesley, Marathon runners get kisses: ‘I’m not technically in a relationship right now’
• On her birthday, Sara Hall turned energy from the crowd into a 15th place finish
• CJ Albertson finishes as top American man with a little help from chicken coop technology
• For the second year, Bruins great Zdeno Chara completes the Marathon: ‘It’s the best marathon in the world’
• Former champ Des Linden ran Boston without the ‘pressure or expectations.’ She had a ball.
• After 37 years running at night, race director Dave McGillivray rejoins the fray
• Meb, the 2014 Boston Marathon winner, finishes his ‘victory lap’ for charity a decade later

2024 Boston Marathon: How it happened

Read all our Marathon stories

Here’s who won the para divisions on Monday — 7:00 p.m.

In the past several years, the Boston Athletic Association has made an effort to expand and enhance participation by para athletes in its main events, including a boost in prize money.

On Monday, seven para divisions were included in the 128th Boston Marathon in addition to the wheelchair division races won by Marcel Hug and Eden Rainbow-Cooper.

The winners in each para division received $2,500. Here’s a breakdown by division:

T11/T12 (vision impairment): Men - Irwin Ramirez, 3:24:21; Women - Joyce Cron, 4:27:46

T13 (Vision impairment): Men - Andrew Thorsen, 3:02:23; Women - Lisa Thompson, 4:00:58

T45/T46 (upper-limb impairment): Men - Atsbha Gebremeskel, 2:54:14; Women - Adrienne Keane, 4:44:26

T61/T63/T43 (lower-limb impairment): Men - Adam Popp, 3:11:56; Women - Tatsiana Khvitso-Trimborn, 4:00:04

T62/T64; T42/T44 (lower-limb impairment): Men - Marko Cheseto Lemtukei, 2:46:45; Women - Kelly Bruno, 3:31:30

T35-T38 (coordination impairment): Men - Joseph Drake, 4:32:44; Women - Cristina Burbach, 3:41:17

T20 (intellectual impairment): Thomas Cantara, 2:35:23

Best of Boston? Without question, Patriots Day with the Marathon and Red Sox has a celebratory vibe no other city can match. — 6:00 p.m.

By Chad Finn, Globe columnist

We could, in theory, throw down the gauntlet, issue a formal challenge, dare any other city in North America to claim it has an annual celebration of region and sport as sublime as Patriots Day in Boston.

But c’mon. What would be the point? To humor, oh, Philadelphia?

You know the truth, I know the truth, the approximately 30,000 participants in the 128th Boston Marathon and the tens of thousands of fans cheering them on know the truth, and so do the thousands that made their way to Fenway Park for the Red Sox’ traditional 11:10 a.m. first pitch.

When the weather cooperates and the vibes are equally as warm, nothing anywhere else matches Patriots Day.

Read Finn’s full column here.

Once again, Henry Richard finishes the race in honor of his late brother — 5:30 p.m.

By Cam Kerry

Henry Richard couldn’t stop smiling when he got over the finish line.

Henry, the brother of the late Martin Richard, completed the course in 5:17:11, good for a 12:06 pace. It was the 22 year-old’s fifth running of Boston in honor of his brother, who was killed in the bombings 11 years ago.

“It’s such an amazing feeling to keep coming back, year after year,” said Henry. “Running alongside friends, family, and people who just want to honor the Martin Richard Foundation’s message, it’s just an incredible feeling to see that it’s not forgotten after 10 years. People still want to keep coming back to Boston, coming back to the Boston Marathon, and just running for Martin.”

Henry sported a bright yellow ‘MR8′ uniform surrounded by his family and friends; MR8 benefits the Martin Richard foundation. Crowds along the course provided the team a plethora of support.

“It’s incredible – sometimes I feel like I’m getting a little too much support and I want people to share the wealth,” said Henry. “The cheers for MR8 are just incredible and it’s what drives us to keep going forward. I had a tough day today and I don’t think I would have been able to do it without those cheers.”

Throughout his run, Henry saw many people that he’s met throughout the years and that, along with his friends and family beside him and the memory of his late brother, helped spur him over the finish line.

“It’s incredible to see people that I’ve met along the way over the past 10 years and they can’t catch me walking,” said Henry. “Once I make eye contact with them, that’s what keeps me going forward.”

Patrick Clancy finishes his race — 5:15 p.m.

By Matty Wasserman

Patrick Clancy, whose three young children were killed at their home in January 2023, completed the Boston Marathon on Monday in their memory.

The Duxbury resident crossed the finish line in 3 hours, 59 minutes and 19 seconds, with his final mile (8:31) his fastest of the afternoon.

“It felt amazing to cross the finish line,” Clancy said. “It was a lot of work to get here, and it is a big accomplishment.”

Read more here.

Today’s race was a family affair for director Dave McGillivray — 5:00 p.m.

By Ethan Fuller

Dave McGillivray has run the Boston Marathon for 52 consecutive years. But since 1987, the race director has waited until the evening to run the course he oversees, finishing in the dark.

This year, McGillivray joined the masses, starting at the back of the second wave and crossing the finish line just before 4 p.m. among the crowd he has helped grow.

“A lot of [spectators] knew who I was, so they were calling my name out,” McGillivray, 69, said. “It’s just flattering, humbling, to think that all those people know who you are because I’ve been doing it for so long. Running at night, all I had cheering for me were pigeons and squirrels.”

McGillivray started with the Marathon as technical director in 1988 and became race director in 2001. He admitted that it was hard to put away his critical lens while running.

“Any race I’m running, I’m running with the eye of a director and critiquing the event,” he said. “These hydration tables are too close or too far away. We need more crowd control here — whatever it may be. I’m always either trying to see things that we can improve upon, or looking at things that, maybe we did, and to me, they worked.”

A big challenge for McGillivray, and the rest of the field: heat. He’s used to running Boston at night in cool temperatures, and Monday’s warmth and sunshine brought stark contrast.

“The heat got to me, for sure,” he said. “But then we got some cloud cover, and that helped a lot, and we had a tailwind, and when it came through, there was a little bit of chilly air. It wasn’t oppressive, but we haven’t trained in those kinds of conditions all year.”

But McGillivray had plenty of motivation to finish strong. He ran alongside his daughter, Elle, in her first Boston Marathon, while his son, Max, competed for the second time. And even with 52 appearances, McGillivray still chases the self-satisfaction he sees when runners complete the iconic course.

“There’s nothing more powerful in the world than feeling good about yourself. That’s the foundation by which we accomplish everything in our lives, and it’s the same thing with me,” he said.

“The medal is symbolic, but I’m not doing it for the medal. I’m doing it for my own head, saying I can still do, at almost 70 years old, what I could do when I was 18 years old.”

How the heat impacted racers today — 4:50 p.m.

By Daniel Kool, Maddie Khaw and Alexa Coultoff

With temperatures in the high 60s and up to 70 degrees, and sunny skies over much of the Boston Marathon’s course, runners Monday endured chafing, dehydration, and lots and lots of sweat.

The medical tent in Wellesley, just down the road from the halfway mark, had treated 80 runners as of 2:30 p.m., according to Dr. Jacob Koshy of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

The heat took a toll on some runners, Koshy said, with a handful of athletes dropping out halfway due to dehydration and overheating. Anecdotally, Koshy estimated that around 15 to 20 of the runners he triaged stopped the race early.

“Folks have been feeling it really early, even a few miles in,” Koshy said. “A few of the runners felt it immediately. They felt this was different, they could tell this was too hot for them.”

Runners who dropped out were offered a bus back to the finish line, he said, or called family members to pick them up from Wellesley.

Melanie Mead, station leader at the Wellesley medical tent, said at least three more people had dropped out by the time they closed just after 3 p.m.

Up the route, at the medical station just before Mile 23 in Brookline, runners were stopping every minute or two for some sort of assistance in the afternoon — often just an ice pack to press against their chest to cool off, or sometimes a massage for a cramping muscle.

Volunteers stood ready to catch them before they fainted, offering medical attention.

Meanwhile, Boston EMS saw 25 race-related ambulance transports along the Marathon route by 4:20 p.m., but it was not clear how many of those were heat-related, according to a Boston EMS spokesperson. The spokesperson said EMS cared for some patients experiencing hyperthermia, but they could not provide specific numbers.

Several runners threw up shortly after crossing the finish line, before being escorted to the medical tent. Around 2:40 p.m., one runner lay on the sidewalk in the medical tent’s shade, breathing heavily.

It was a stark contrast to last year’s marathon, during which overcast skies and a late-day downpour prompted medical personnel to offer runners heat lamps and protection from the rain.

Jose Lopez, deputy chief of the Framingham Fire Department, said the city’s emergency services got a couple of calls during the Marathon for “minor injuries, but none of them were heat related.”

He said that does not count medical care that may have been provided by Boston Athletic Association personnel and volunteers, who oversee the course’s medical tents.

He noted that runners may not have been especially tired by the time they passed through Framingham, which is less than 8 miles into the course.

“It was early in the day and we’re also toward the beginning of the race,” Lopez said.

Dan Kitti, in town from Chicago, completed his third Boston Marathon in the heat, crossing the finish line a little after 1 p.m., as temperatures in Copley Square approached their peak.

Kitti said the heat made Thursday a “perfect day” for spectators.

“Hot for the runners, but it’s good for the crowd,” Kitti said, sweat dripping from his chin.

A unicorn spotting! — 4:30 p.m.

When Aurelien Avert, Guillaume Lacroix, and Guillaume Perin set out to complete the six marathon majors eight years ago, the three friends had one goal.

”We love unicorns. We said, ‘The day we’re doing Boston, we’ll have to dress as unicorns,’ and so here we are,” Perin said. “That was a dream of ours when we started the world major marathon journey.”

The three friends, who met in high school in France, now live all over the world — Lacroix in New York, Perin in Australia, and Avert in France — but they get together every year or two to work toward the ultimate target of running each of the six world major marathons.

They began in 2017 with New York, then moved on to Chicago in 2019, Berlin in 2021, London in 2023, and this year, Boston.

Tokyo’s up next, and hopefully, they’ll finish their quest next year. But for now, they’re just happy they finally got the chance to run dressed as the race’s famous mascot.

Amby Burfoot, 77, completes his 28th Boston Marathon — 4:15 p.m.

By Sarah Barber

In 1968, Ambrose “Amby” Burfoot crossed the finish line of the Boston Marathon in 2 hours, 22 minutes and 17 seconds.

On Monday, the 77-year-old crossed the finish line for the 28th time.

Burfoot, who was joined after the race by his wife Cristina, completed the course in 4 hours, 59 minutes and 58 seconds. He wore bib No. 1968.

”The race was sensational and I’m very tired,” Burfoot said as he leaned against a metal barrier.

At his age, 26.2 miles is no small feat, but the biggest difference for Burfoot between the race in 1968 and the race in 2024 was his training.

”Then, I was running 100 miles a week for training, and now I’m running 15,” Burfoot laughed.

The Mystic, Conn., native’s spirits were high despite spending nearly five hours on the course in the heat. Burfoot said he’s run Boston 28 times — simply because it’s Boston.

”I keep coming back here because it’s a celebration of life,” he said. “It’s just a thrill to hit Boylston Street, to finish another one and feel that life is moving on in the right direction.”

The love for the Boston Marathon is a sentiment echoed among many that take on the course. But for a runner like Burfoot, who has nearly three decades’ worth of races under his belt, the emotion is palpable.

”It’s the tradition of the Boston Marathon, the fact that these communities have been out there for a hundred years, not just a decade or two,” Burfoot said. “They’re fantastic, they know the marathon and they honor the runners. I heard my name a lot, frankly I was looking down at the road a lot and just trying to truck on, but I heard my name a lot.”

How did Sarah Hall celebrate her birthday? She ran the Boston Marathon. — 4:05 p.m.

Sara Hall decided to celebrate her 41st birthday doing what she loves most: running.

“There’s no race like this race, the Boston Marathon. It’s incredible,” Hall said. “There’s nothing I would rather do on my birthday.”

Hall, the fourth-fastest American marathoner in history, finished her third Boston Marathon in 15th place, completing the course in 2:27:58 and improving upon her 17th-place finish in 2023.

Read the full story here.

Watch the winners of the 2024 Boston Marathon sprint to the finish — 3:55 p.m.

Yes, that was Zdeno Chara you spotted towering over the other runners — 3:45 p.m.

From his days as a Boston Bruins player, Zdeno Chara is more than familiar with the roar of a crowd. The fans who pack the barricades for 26.2 miles along the route of the Boston Marathon, however, are something else entirely.

“You have fans right there with you screaming and cheering you on,” said Chara, who played 24 seasons in the NHL, including 13 with the Bruins. “It’s the best marathon in the world. All the credit goes to the fans because they make this race such a special marathon.”

Chara, who stands at 6 feet, 9 inches, completed his second consecutive Boston Marathon, the seventh marathon he’s run in the last 12 months, in an unofficial time of 3 hours, 30 minutes, and 52 seconds. In a few days, he’ll fly to London to run marathon No. 8 alongside Becca Pizzi, a professional marathoner with whom he trains and races.

Read the full story here.

High of 70? That’s nothing. Here are the hottest Boston Marathons in history. — 3:35 p.m.

Monday’s high hit the 70-degree mark in the Boston area, a few degrees higher than what forecasters anticipated for the Boston Marathon, but still far from the hottest Patriots Day the city has endured since the race’s inception.

Globe meteorologist Ken Mahan said today’s gradual rise in temperature largely has to do with the lack of cloud cover.

The optimal running temperature for runners ranges between 44 and 59 degrees. That’s a statistic supported by the fact that 70% of the major North American marathon records have been set with temperatures within this range.

Nearly a dozen notable Boston Marathons have pushed the mercury to 80 degrees or higher, including:

• 1905 – The all-time hottest Boston Marathon was a whopping 100 degree.

• 1976 – Temps climbed to 96 degrees during race time.

• 2012 – Runners raced amid 89-degree heat.

Read the full story here.

Is that ... Spiderman? — 3:30 p.m.

Daniel Farrar completed the Boston Marathon in a Spiderman suit to draw attention.

Not to himself, but to his six-year old daughter, Lucy, who battles cystic fibrosis.

Farrar pledged a $135 donation for every mile run in under nine minutes, which he did 21 of. With the addition of donations, Farrar expects to raise between $4,000 and $5,000. The 36 year-old from Stonington, Connecticut finished in 3:46:38.

”She’s doing great, so I do everything that I can to raise funds and awareness and support,” said Farrar.

Farrar received cheers from the raucous supporters for the entire 26.2 miles, spurring him on. This was his first time completing the Boston Marathon, though he ran in a Spiderman costume for the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington DC.

”I’m a huge Spiderman fan,” said Farrar. “I had it for a Halloween costume and I just decided to wear it. [It’s] A little hot today.”

Lucy had school today, so she was not in attendance. Farrar is hosting a road race next weekend in Stonington called “Laps For Lucy,” a four-mile event that between 50 to 100 people will partake in.

”She loves to see me do this stuff,” said Farrar. “I run with her when I can. She’s little, she’ll get bigger and she’ll keep on doing it.”

Young entrepreneurs make the most of a hot day — 3:25 p.m.

A line of eager spectators waited to buy a $1 lemonade and a bag of goldfish in the 70 degree heat.

To keep the Marathon crowds cool, six-year-old entrepreneur Ali Penaranda ran a lemonade stand in front of her apartment on Commonwealth Avenue.

With help from her friend, Sunny Kim, 6, and her cousin Daniel Valerio, 12, Ali’s stand was a well-oiled machine Monday afternoon.

”We really like lemonade,” Ali said.

This is the third year “Ali’s Lemonade Stand,” as Ali calls it, has opened for the Marathon crowd.

Tiffany Kim, Sunny’s mom, said Ali and her family have chosen a charity for the past three years to donate the funds, and last year they raised $1,200, she said.

Daniel, who was busy pouring the lemonade while Ali ran around the yard, said they bought Huggies diapers for Boston kids and families in need with the money last year.

Host of MTV’s ‘Catfish’ makes an appearance on the course — 3:15 p.m.

Nēv Schulman, 39, TV host and producer of MTV series, “Catfish,” completed the Boston Marathon as a guide runner for Francesco Magisano, a blind athlete. The pair ran for Achilles International.

”I feel very fulfilled; it was hard work but we got through it,” said Schulman. “It’s always been on my bucket list to run Boston.”

Schulman said him and Magisano run consistently throughout the year, so training for Boston was simply a matter of adding more runs. Magisano is an established triathlete; he was the first blind athlete to finish the Ultraman Florida in 2023.

Schulman recalled one of the most memorable parts of the race being passing through Wellesely.”I have to give a real shout out to the Wellesley girls,” said Schulman. “We got some kisses on our cheeks.”

Who’s the guy in the Narragansett costume? — 3:00 p.m.

By Christopher Huffaker

Matt Charlton, of Allston, doesn’t work for Narragansett.

“I just do this,” he said.

Charlton bought his tall boy suit for last year’s marathon, but he’s been handing out beers for four to five years. There are always takers, he said.

At least one Marathon participant runs on Dunkin’ — 2:50 p.m.

By Daniel Kool

Joe Dallimore, a runner from Utah, is a self-proclaimed Dunkin’ Donuts fanatic.

So when he saw his family partway through the course, decked out in costumes from the now-iconic DunKings Superbowl ad, the second-time Marathon runner was thrilled.

“It was a surprise at mile 17, and he burst out laughing,” his sister, Elise Dallimore said.

His family stood, still suited in orange and pink tracksuits, waiting near the finish line around 2:20. Dallimore’s wife, Wendy Dallimore, had the idea, and the family was thrilled to play along.

“I’m a little nutty,” Wendy Dallimore said, when asked how she came up with the outfits.

Elise Dallimore said she used to run marathons more than a decade ago, but had to stop due to an injury before making it to Boston.

“He’s living it for me,” she said from under a leopard print hat. “He’s living my dream, and he didn’t even start running until he was 50.”

Joe Dallimore said there are, tragically, no Dunkin’ Donuts locations back home, so “I load up whenever I come to Boston.”

He went a handful of times Sunday, and planned to hit the coffee shop again before leaving town. He kissed his wife over the barricade.

“I love them,” he said, wiping sweat from his cheek. “And I love Dunkin’ Donuts.”

Runners are battling dehydration — 2:40 p.m.

By Maddie Khaw and Alexa Coultoff

The medical tent in Wellesley, just down the road from the halfway mark, has treated 80 runners as of 2:30 p.m., according to Dr. Jacob Koshy of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

The heat has taken a toll on some runners, Koshy said, with a handful of athletes dropping out halfway due to dehydration and overheating. Anecdotally, Koshy estimated that around 15-20 of the runners he triaged stopped the race early.

“There’s quite a few people with dehydration, or just not feeling it today,” Koshy said. “They didn’t get to train all winter in any type of heat like this.”

It’s the “exact opposite” of last year, he said, when instead of ice baths, shade, and cold packs, the medical tent offered heaters and a haven from the cold and rain.

“Folks have been feeling it really early, even a few miles in,” Koshy said. “A few of the runners felt it immediately. They felt this was different, they could tell this was too hot for them.”

Runners who dropped out were offered a bus back to the finish line, he said, or called family members to pick them up from Wellesley.

Ten years after his iconic 2014 triumph, Meb Keflezighi is back — 2:30 p.m.

By Ava Berger

Meb Keflezighi returned to Boston to chants of “you’re my hero” and “many fist bumps,” he said after he finished the 128th Marathon in 3 hours, 8 minutes, and 56 seconds.

“To be back in Boston means a lot just because it is an iconic race,” Keflezighi said. “It was a pretty amazing victory lap.”

Ten years after his crowning victory, Keflezighi ran for his own foundation, the MEB Foundation, Maintain Excellence Balance.

“I ran to win in 2014, but I ran to finish to represent my foundation,” Keflezighi said about his race on Monday. “It was on my bucket list for a long time, and I’m not getting any younger.”

A decade later, Keflezighi said he will never forget 2014.

“So many people tell me where they were 10 years ago, so it’s always fresh on my mind,” he said. “It gives me goosebumps.”

Read more here.

A warm Boston Marathon takes its toll on runners — 2:25 p.m.

By Christopher Huffaker

At the medical station just before mile 23 in Brookline, a runner is stopping every minute or two for some sort of assistance—often just an ice pack to press against their chest to cool off, or sometimes a massage for a cramping muscle.

Many are taking up the Vaseline on offer for chafing. But some runners need more, and volunteers stand ready to catch them before they faint and get them medical attention.

A 68-year-old wheelchair pioneer has seen the Boston Marathon come a long way — 2:20 p.m.

By Esha Walia

Jayne Fortson, 68, was among the first athletes to participate in the Boston Marathon women’s wheelchair division.

She traveled to Boston from Anchorage, Alaska to support her 29-year-old daughter, Leah, who is running the Marathon for the first time.

“It’s very emotional,” she said.

Fortson competed in the Boston Marathon for the first time more than 40 years ago and has completed 25 marathons, she said. The Boston Marathon officially added wheelchairs as a category in 1975.

Fortson is joined by her family, who is also in Boston to support her daughter.

“It’s wonderful to see how welcome wheelchairs are to this event,” Fortson said. “I remember especially when wheelchairs weren’t allowed in the New York City marathon.”

A work-Marathon balancing act — 2:15 p.m.

By Christopher Huffaker

Adrian Guenard, a masters student in aerospace engineering at MIT, has an interview tomorrow he needs to prepare for. But Guenard, of Paris, also has a friend running the marathon he wants to cheer on — his classmate Maria Barbosa. So Guenard decided to do both. He just found it a bit difficult to focus.

“There’s a lot of noise, and I’m a bit excited to see her,” he said.

Guenard, who ran a marathon himself last November, decided to cheer on his friend around mile 22, post-Heartbreak Hill.

“I know how it feels to have someone cheering for you for in those last kilometers,” he said.

‘Perfect day for the crowd’ — for the runners, maybe not so much — 2:05 p.m.

By Daniel Kool

Linda Ngo, 42, stood at the barricade just a few yards past the finish line, as her children struggled to hold hand-made signs in the wind. They waited to congratulate her husband, Dan Kitti, for his third Boston Marathon.

Her 5-year-old son sat on Ngo’s shoulders, holding a repurposed Glossier sign that read, in a child’s penmanship, “GO DADDY GO!”

They hardly noticed when Kitti crossed the finish line, sweat beading on his forehead. But when Kitti approached, the young boy cheered. They leaned over the barricade, hugging in a brief reunion before Kitti continued down the street.

The third-time runner said the heat made Thursday a “perfect day for the crowd.”

“Hot for the runners, but it’s good for the crowd,” Kitti said, sweat dripping from his chin.

Excitement — and child-like impatience — at the finish line — 2:00 p.m.

By Daniel Kool

With just minutes to go before the men’s elite runners were expected to cross the finish line, 8-year-old Mateo Arboleda found a place right against the barricade, even if waiting for the pack tested the boy’s patience.

Leaning against the barricade around 11:30 a.m., just feet from the course, he fidgeted with his coat and asked, “How much longer?”

His father, Joseph Arboleda, stood close behind, reminding the boy to say “excuse me” as he made his way through the crowd. Abroleda’s older son stood further back.

“We walked all the way here, we stopped at the coffee shop,” Arboleda said, gesturing to the young boy. “He’s pretty excited, he’s never been.”

Arboleda said he has not been to the finish line since sometime before the 2013 Marathon.

“This is how long it took me [to return],” he said.

Arboleda asked his son if he was excited to be there. The boy turned around, smiled and shrugged.

“I guess, yes,” the father said with a laugh.

At Wellesley College, the party starts early and ends late — 1:50 p.m.

By Maddie Khaw

Runners winding the course through Wellesley were met with hoards of shrieking students and clanging bells as they passed the infamous “scream tunnel” at Wellesley College.

Marathon Monday is “the one day that Wellesley becomes a party school,” said Cassidy Novello, 22.

Novello, a senior, said race day has been a “pivotal moment in all four of my years.”

It’s “the one thing we’ll rally for,” added Marin Kriner, 18, another Wellesley student.

And rally they did. Campus festivities start as early as 7 a.m., said Novello, who has a tradition of shotgunning a beer with a friend early on Marathon Monday morning. Others held what’s known as a “borg” — the ubiquitous gallon-sized drinks popular among college kids — as they cheered on runners, waved pink inflatable sticks, and danced to music blasting through speakers.

“It’s a big party,” Novello said. “Everybody comes together on this day.”

Students meandered between the scream tunnel and an inflatable bouncy house set up in the center square among several dorm buildings. Further along the campus, students picked up a bite to eat from grills at a campus barbecue.

For some, it’s not all about the partying.

“As someone who wants to eventually run a marathon … it’s just super inspiring to see how much effort they put in,” said Wellesley student Alex Lenart, 22. “And how much support there is, too, is really, really awesome.”

Emma Bates on her top American finish — 1:45 p.m.

Emma Bates finished as the top American woman in the Boston Marathon for the second year in a row, crossing the finish line in 2 hours, 27 minutes, 14 seconds.

Here’s what she had to say about her finish:

On the crowd: “It was crazy. I thought last year was crazy loud, but this year surpassed that completely. I think it was a great day for the spectators, not so much for the runners, unfortunately, it was pretty hot. I think people didn’t want to lead, so I ended up leading. I don’t think that was really in the cards, my coach told my go out and run my own race, treat it like a long run with a little more pizazz. I thought the day would go a little bit quicker, but I think just because of the heat, it slowed a little bit.”

On finishing 12th overall: “I’m proud of finishing, I’m proud of being at the start line, I’m proud of pushing myself and the effort I put into it. 12th isn’t quite what I expected and hoped for, but that’s the name of the game, there were so many women in the group that it’s kind of a crapshoot. I just wasn’t able to have the wheels at the end.”

On fellow American female runners Des Linden and Sara Hall: ”Des came up I think at mile 15 and came out of nowhere, I was leading at the time and she asked what pace I was running, I said ‘I think 5:30s,’ and she said, ‘Alright, let’s do this.’

“She’s a legend in Boston and for her to just try and help me just speaks volumes about the type of person that she is and the type of person we have in this sport. We’re blessed to have her. And Sara, coming back from running the Olympic trials, she proves time and time again that she’s such a consistent runner and such a tenacious runner. To see them come across the line and want to take photos with me, I was kind of starstruck just to be kind of in the same realm as them, so it was a really special moment.”

Who was that man running in the banana suit? — 1:40 p.m.

By Cam Kerry

Matt Seidel described the $20 Etsy purchase as one of the best he’s ever made.

Seidel elicited constant cheers from the crowd by sporting a head-to-toe banana costume, completing his first Boston Marathon in 2:35:38.

Why a banana?

“‘Why not?’ is a better question,” said Seidel. “I just like to have fun and it’s really fun to me how easy it is to make people smile. If wearing a banana suit for a whole marathon gets people to cheer and smile, it’s fun.”

Seidel considers himself a trail ultra-marathon runner, and is training for the Canyons Endurance Run, a 100-kilometer race in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada range scheduled for April 26 and 27 near his hometown of Oakland. A 2018 graduate of Seattle University, Seidel ran on the cross country and track teams. Monday marked his fourth road marathon — and first in a banana suit.

Sidel passed three others running in banana suits and upon seeing one another, Seidel jumped up and exchanged high-fives, which he called ‘a blast’.

“Ironically, I don’t even like eating bananas so it’s not even a love of bananas,” said Seidel. “I just think it’s a fun imagery and loosely, I have a running crew whose unofficial mascot is a banana, so I figured the best way to represent was to don a full-body banana suit.”

Seidel tries not to take himself too seriously. He has worn the banana costume to support friends in their own pursuits and has worn shirts covered in bananas before when he runs. The suit, which went from covering his black hat on top of his head and spanned down to the top of his crew length socks, is made of breathable, lightweight fabric.

“Warm, but not incredibly hot,” Seidel explained. “I wish it was a little cooler but it honestly wasn’t too bad.”

Seidel described his experience racing Boston as something he would do again ‘in a heartbeat’. The next time he travels cross country to cross the finish line on Boylston Street, don’t expect to see him in the same attire.

“I’ve unofficially told friends that I’m retiring the banana suit after tonight, but not retiring costumes,” said Seidel.

Marcel Hug and Eden Rainbow-Cooper on their races — 1:35 p.m.

Marcel Hug broke the course record despite tipping over near the firehouse. Eden Rainbow-Cooper, new to marathoning, edged out legend Manuela Schar. Here’s what they had to say about their races.

Marcel Hug

On the race and conditions: “It was an incredible race. From the beginning I tried to go as fast downhill as possible because the weather conditions were nearly perfect, wind direction, temperature, so I tried to have a fast time. After the first downhills I had a little gap, but my competitor’s still in my neck, so just pushing as hard as possible. It took me a few kilometers to have a good rhythm, but then i felt better and better, stronger and stronger. I had a good rhythm until the crash, but luckily I could get back on the course and move forward. At the end, very happy with today’s race.”

On what impacts his technique the most: “I think there are several things that have an impact on technique. For example, sitting position in the wheelchair position changed, we sit lower in the chair, so that means the push changed. The gloves developed the past few years, the wheels themselves changed ... from the past few years there were a lot of changes.”

On the crash: “It happened I think in the corner from the fire station, I had a high speed in that corner, I tried to steer but, I still have to analyze what really happened, but my guess is I had too much pressure, too much weight with my hand on the steering so it didn’t steer properly at first. A little too late, steering, and I hit the barriers. Luckily I didn’t fall out of the racing chair, and first thought was, hopefully the chair is okay, and then I just tried to push myself up onto both wheels and accelerate as fast as possible because in this moment that I’m on schedule for the course record, so I still believed it was possible to break it.”

On what he was thinking during the crash: “Not much. Just get up, and get back to racing. It was a huge relief that nothing was broken on the chair, my body was okay, maybe there was a lot of adrenaline so I couldn’t feel it.”

Eden Rainbow-Cooper

On her first-place finish: “I just couldn’t believe it, if i’m honest. My first marathon was just over two years ago so to have such a large progression in such a short amount of time, it’s beyond my wildest dreams. I really can’t believe it. It mens everything to me to make my country proud, and hopefully open the door for more British racers.”

On appearing to take a break midway through: “For me, the marathon distance is quite hard because I have full feeling in my legs so it’s really difficult for me to stay in that knelt position for an hour and half, however long it is, so I have to release that pressure, and I know on the slight downhill is where nothing can go wrong, or on the straights I can release that pressure on my legs. You kind of always take the risk because you never know how far your competitors are, but as soon as I saw a flat or a little downhill I knew it was okay to take a little break.”

On her “So I started the sport when I was in senior school, so just after 2012, in a program to try and get kids with disabilities into sport, and I was directed to Jenny Archer and David Weir at the Weir Archer Academy, where I was for about 10 years. It’s in the last six months that I’ve been working with Arno Mul. It’s been, the last six months, there’s been a lot of change and a lot of differences to get used to, but it’s all working out, so it’s been really good.”

Hellen Obiri on the fast pace, and what’s next — 1:30 p.m.

Women’s winner Hellen Obiri elaborated on the race’s finish and the Olympics. The highlights:

Obiri on the fast finish: “For me I cannot really say, I did not know it was so fast. When you look at your watch, you can see it’s fast and mentally say, I’m tired. I didn’t know it was fast toward the end. When Sharon was there I was like, this move is very fast. I was saying it’s fast, but I wasn’t thinking it was so fast like that.”

Lokedi, the second place finisher, added: “I just saw my watch, the kilometer beeped and I was like, oh no. I knew I needed to stick with it because we didn’t have long to go, but I was just saying to myself, ‘stick with her, stick with her.’”

Obiri on becoming a repeat champion: “It’s only been six women [who have defended their title], and I said, can I become one of them? Defending a title, now I’m in the history of books in Boston.”

Obiri on the Olympics: “In Kenya, we don’t know yet because we were 10, and now we are 6. Sharon was there with me, so for me I do hope it will be the team with me and Sharon. The Paris course is tough ... I know with Sharon as my teammate, it will be great, I hope Sharon and I will be on the team for Paris.”

Women’s finishers on running with the pack — 1:25 p.m.

Women’s winner Hellen Obiri, second-place finisher Sharon Lokedi, and third-place finisher Edna Kiplagat spoke to the media about running in the pack during the race.

Obiri: “Sometimes you try to communicate because when there’s a crowd of 15 people, you have to be very careful as you’re getting water. You’re talking to each other because you’re friends, I might say, Sharon, I need to get my water.”

Lokedi: “I think it’s just being aware and looking around and seeing if someone else makes a move. You’re very nervous at that point so you’re just seeing if a move is being made and you’re trying to make sure you’re staying with people and not letting a gap open.”

Kiplagat: “When it was like 30K, I look around and we were still 16 of us, so I knew anyone can make a move. It was so tough because I was so patient because I knew any one of us can make a move.”

What the top three women’s finishers had to say — 1:23 p.m.

Women’s winner Hellen Obiri, second-place finisher Sharon Lokedi, and third-place finisher Edna Kiplagat spoke to the media shortly after the end of the race. Here are the highlights:

Obiri: “First of all, thank you so much for welcoming here, to defend my title. It was not an easy feat because I had Sharon with me, she’s so amazing, she gave me a tough competition. But I said, ‘I’m the best.’ I tried to give everything, I tried to give all my energy. ... It was amazing for me. It was a memorable moment for me.”

Lokedi: “It was tough but I’m glad to have come second. the competition was very tough but it was fun to compete with this field, and Boston is not easy, that’s what I’ll say. I’m glad we started well and got to finish well and got a good push from both Edna and Hellen.”

Kiplagat: “First of all, let me congratulate Hellen for defending her title and Sharon for coming second. It was an amazing race today, coming [in] third was a good performance for me so I’m happy. I knew the field was so competitive and I was happy to race with the best here. Training was good, and I knew I’d done enough to come and do my best here, and I’m happy for being third today.”

What Sisay Lemma said about his win — 1:10 p.m.

What was different this year? ”When I tried the first three times I was not able to finish the race because it was very hard, but I said I’m going to redeem myself, and I came today and I started really fast and I was able to do it.”

What was your race plan? ”When I was running in Valencia it was flat and my time was good, when I came here my plan was to run under 2 hours, 2 minutes. But since the race was very hard, I wasn’t able to do that, but I’m glad that I finished.”

What was it like to tackle the hills? ”It was a little bit challenging because when I ran in Valencia it was fast, but my half marathon here was faster than the Valencia one. But for some reason I got tired, it was up and down, the hills, but especially the downhills were hard, that’s why I slowed.”

Hear what the top three men’s finishers said after the race — 1:02 p.m.

The top three finishers of the men’s race took the podium just after 1 p.m. Here’s what they said.

“I’m very happy that I won today because several times I’ve dropped out of the race before, but today I won and I’ve redeemed myself and I’m very happy,” Sisay Lemma, the winner, said through a translator.

“I’m very happy that I came second, and especially the last five kilometers I pushed very hard to come second and I’m happy with that,” said Mohamed Esa, who finished second, through a translator.

“I’m very happy, I’m very pleased. [Third place] is not easy ... When I come back again, I’ll win. Maybe I’ll run a better time, [finish] a better position,” said Evans Chebet, who finished third.

High of 65? That’s nothing. Here are the hottest Boston Marathons — 12:55 p.m.

By Ken Mahan

Today’s high may top into the mid-60s, but more striking above-average temperatures have impacted runners on marathon day. Nearly a dozen notable races have pushed the mercury to 80 degrees or higher, including:

• 1905 – The all-time hottest Boston Marathon was a whopping 100 degrees.
• 1976 – Temps climbed to 96 degrees during race time.
• 2012 – Runners raced amid 89-degree heat.

Running in intense heat is harsh on the body, which is rapidly warming faster than the ability to sweat, leading to dehydration. Today’s race will reach into the mid-60s with more sun than clouds forecast. That high is still above normal for April 15, which averages a daily high of 56.

Along Boylston, excitement is palpable — 12:50 p.m.

By Daniel Kool

Up and down the swath of Boylston surrounding the finish line earlier this morning, store workers peered out pane-glass windows, vying for a glimpse of the festivities.

Workers in an AT&T store stood on a window ledge, while baristas at the Capital One Café stole glances between brewing shots of espresso.

”The employees are really excited,” said Monica Scott, market community engage lead at the branch, who added that workers are given time to walk the roads handing out swag.

Down the street, at Marathon Sports, employees — some of whom are runners themselves — discussed favorite athletes with coworkers and customers.

Talia Brookstein-Burke said everyone in the store tries to step out and catch a view of the winners crossing the finish line.

”Obviously if there’s customers here, a few of us will stay behind,” she said, with a laugh. “Whoever wants to see the person outside the most. ... If it’s somebody’s best friend, we’re going to let them watch.”

Brookstein-Burke said she qualified for this year’s Marathon, but didn’t make the cut-off. Instead, she’s cheering on coworkers, running teammates, and especially marathon runner Emma Bates, who finished as the fastest American at Mondays’ race.

She’s running in honor of her sick son. Meet Paige Divoll. — 12:35 p.m.

By Chris Serres

Paige Divoll of Andover said she will be thinking about her 6-year-old son Theo “with every single step” of the race.

She is running the marathon in honor of her son Theo who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma — a rare form of cancer — on Marathon Monday a year ago.

Theo had a massive tumor in his abdomen that metastasized to his bones. The tumor was pushing on his kidney and major arteries causing dangerously high blood pressure. Divoll said they woke up the next day at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, with Theo as a cancer patient and she as a cancer mom.

”Running a marathon is nothing compared to what Theo has endured,” said Divoll, a former corporate recruiter who is running her third marathon. “I would run 26 miles in my hands and knees, on hot coals, and it still wouldn’t hurt as much. Theo is just trying to be a kid. He didn’t sign up for this.”

Neuroblastoma is rare — only 800 children are diagnosed with it per year in the US. Less than half of those kids have stage four or “high risk” neuroblastoma like Theo does. It has a 50 percent relapse rate for survivors. He’s undergone surgery, chemotherapy proton radiation and is in the middle of a series of immunotherapy treatments. Theo’s reaction to the chemotherapy has been so intense that he got black eyes from vomiting so frequently and this skin peeled off.

Divall said she has turned to running to keep herself sane during her son’s agonizing treatment and to find a way to help the doctors saving her son. On days that that Theo was undergoing treatment at Mass General, Divall would sometimes slide on her running shoes and go on a “rage run” along the Charles River.

In the run up to the marathon, Divoll raised $31,000 for the pediatric oncology research team at Massachusetts General Hospital. It is three times the amount she planned to raise.

”Running gives me a place to feel angry,” she said. “But when you breathe deeply and see the blue sky and hear the birds chirping … running also reminds me that life is beautiful and fragile. There is no greater sense of the beauty and awe of life than when you have your health and legs under you.”

Des Linden is no stranger to Boston — 12:25 p.m.

Des Linden finished the 128th Boston Marathon in 2 hours, 28 minutes, and 27 seconds, unofficially.

Linden, 40, was the 16th woman and 3rd American woman to cross the finish line for her 11th time on the course. The Californian made a push to lead the pack early in the course but had longer splits around the 18-mile mark, compared to those at the start of the race, which were solidly in the range of five minutes and thirty seconds. Linden finished with an average split of 5:40 per mile and crossed the finish line after American leaders Emma Bates (2:27:14) and Sara Hall (2:27:58).

CJ Albertson comes in 7th as the top American men’s elite finisher — 12:22 p.m.

In his fourth Boston Marathon, CJ Albertson ran his best time to date, finishing seventh (2:09:53) as the top American in the men’s elite race.

Albertson, 30, has been in the mix before, with prior finishes of 10th, 13th, and 12th from 2021-23. He led the first 20 miles of the 2021 Marathon before fading late, as thousands of runners have done, around Heartbreak Hill.

Monday’s story, three years later, was quite the opposite. Alberston didn’t appear in the top ten until the 23-mile mark, but stayed consistent through the final miles to pick off competitors. Though he said in an Instragram post that he was hoping for a top-five finish, Albertson wasn’t far off. He finished 3 minutes and 53 seconds behind winner Sisay Lemma.

Albertson set the world record for the indoor marathon in 2019, when he ran in 2:17:59 at The Armory in New York. He still holds the world record in the 50K (2:38:43), which he set in 2022 in San Francisco. More recently, Albertson finished fifth in the marathon at the US Olympic Trials in February. He has run four marathons in the last five months.

From Fresno, Calif., Albertson ran in college at Arizona State and now coaches at Clovis Community College in Fresno. He’s drawn interest for his unique approaches to training, once sitting in his car under direct sunlight to create the effect of a sauna.

To prepare for the Olympic Trials in Florida, Albertson wanted to simulate hot conditions, so he used heat lamps typically reserved for chicken coops as he ran on his treadmill.

”The bulbs produce a lot of heat and I wanted to be ready for the Team Trials in Florida, in case it was hot and humid on the day,” he told Strava. “I’ve kept doing that since then because it helps with overall fitness.”

Though Monday wasn’t quite the same heat, Albertson was certainly prepared.

The first American woman has crossed the finish line — 12:17 p.m.

Emma Bates finishes as the top American woman in Boston for the second year in a row, crossing the finish line in 2 hours, 27 minutes, 14 seconds. She couldn’t quite stick in the lead pack as long as he did last year, when Bates was still in the mix coming out of Kenmore Square, but she finishes 44 seconds ahead of Sara Hall for another top American honor.

Bates, Hall, and third American Des Linden all embraced at the finish line.

Hellen Obiri breaks away late to win back-to-back Boston Marathons — 12:09 p.m.

Hellen Obiri wasn’t interested in another Boylston Street kick, as the defending champion makes her decisive move coming out of Kenmore Square with almost two miles to run to put Sharon Lokedi away early and win her second consecutive title in 2 hours, 22 minutes, 37 seconds unofficially. Obiri is the sixth woman to win back-to-back titles and the first since Catherine Ndereba in 2005.

The closest women’s elite finish in the history of the Boston Marathon was in 2009, when Salina Kosgei beat Dire Tune by 1 second.

There were three years in which the margin of victory was 2 seconds – 2012 (Sharon Cherop over Jemima Jelagat Sumgong), 2011 (Caroline Kilel over Des Linden), and 2008 (Tune over Alevtina Biktimirova).

It’s going to be a sprint to the finish — 12:05 p.m.

Hellen Obiri and Sharon Lokedi cover the 25th mile in 4:54, and it’s looking like a sprint finish in the women’s race. Either Obiri will make it back-to-back, or Lokedi — who bested Obiri in the defending champion’s 2022 marathon debut in New York — will claim her first Boston title.

Hellen Obiri and Sharon Lokedi are all alone at the front — 12:00 p.m.

Hellen Obiri and Sharon Lokedi run a blazing 4:41 split for mile 24, and it’s just the two of them with two miles to run. Obiri’s got the track speed that makes her the favorite when this hits Boylston Street, unless Lokedi can run the kick out of her early, but there’s not a lot of time left to do so. The women are now running at a significantly faster pace than Sisay Lemma ran these miles in the men’s race as they torch the final stages of this race.

Happy Birthday, Sara Hall. Now go run the Marathon. — 11:58 a.m.

By Ethan Fuller

Sara Hall spearheaded the lead pack of the women’s race as they crossed 25 kilometers. What a way to spend your 41st birthday.

Hall has a decorated running history highlighted by her win in the 3000-meter steeplechase at the 2011 Pan-American Games. She has the third-fastest marathon time in US history, set when she ran 2:20:32 at The Marathon Project in 2020. Her 1:07:16 half marathon, run in 2022, is the second-fastest in US history.Born in Santa Rosa, Calif., Hall was a seven-time All-American at Stanford. She won the 2012 USA Cross Country Championships and was on the US team for the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in 2006 and 2015.

Hall ran Boston last year and finished 17th. She has a second-place finish at London, a third at Chicago, and top-10 finishes in New York, Berlin, and Tokyo.

”I’m obsessed with this race. From the minute I crossed the finish line last year I’ve been telling my agent I was 110 percent on coming back here to see what I could do with more preparation,” Hall wrote in a post on X Sunday afternoon.

Her husband is Ryan Hall, who has the unofficial American record in the half marathon.

Two former champions are leading the pack — 11:55 a.m.

The pace picks up again, and the women with the first names on their bibs aren’t waiting around any longer. Defending champion Hellen Obiri and two-time winner Edna Kiplagat have surged to the front and broken this race open with a 4:57 23rd mile, dropping everybody but Sharon Lokedi heading into Brookline. That pack of 18 is down to three.

The pack is starting to thin in the women’s elite field — 11:50 a.m.

After two hours of high-speed chess, the women’s race is finally starting to heat up. The lead pack has broken up into a group of 11 at mile 22 with the pace increasing from the 5:40-5:45 range to a 5:17 clip for the 22nd mile. The Americans have fallen off the pace, with Emma Bates trailing the leaders by about 20 seconds and Sara Hall about a minute adrift. Hellen Obiri is there, and so is Edna Kiplagat, but some of the fastest women in the field — Ethiopians Tadu Teshome and Hiwot Gebremaryam — are nowhere to be seen.

Ethiopia’s Sisay Lemma wins 2024 Boston Marathon — 11:41 a.m.

Sisay Lemma makes the right onto Hereford and the left onto Boylston, and after three very disappointing runs over the last few years, the 33-year-old has finally conquered Boston with a final time of 2 hours, 6 minutes, 17 seconds unofficially. He chose to break the race open very early and took a huge gamble in pushing the pace hard, but the gamble paid off big time for a dominant victory, the first for an Ethiopian man since 2016.

Make it a 1-2 finish for the Ethiopians, with Mohamed Esa following Lemma home for a runner-up finish. Evans Chebet has to settle for third place instead of a third-straight victory, as he simply could not close the gap after Lemma set an astonishing pace in the first half.

Sisay Lemma is closing in — 11:38 a.m.

Sisay Lemma has slowed again, with a 5:19 split for his 25th mile, but there’s just not enough time for Evans Chebet and John Korir, more than a minute behind, to make up the gap. Barring disaster over the final mile, Lemma is on for a sensational wire-to-wire win here in Boston.

Lemma is cruising — 11:34 a.m.

Another surge from Sisay Lemma, who covers mile 24 in 5 minutes on the dot. That pace should be enough; Evans Chebet and John Korir close the gap again to 1 minute, 30 seconds, but cutting the lead by 14 seconds a mile isn’t enough. They’ll need him to collapse in the final two miles to have a chance.

It’s getting to be a tighter race in the men’s elite field — 11:30 a.m.

Evans Chebet and John Korir are closing hard. Sisay Lemma runs mile 23 in 5:09, while Chebet and Korir cover it in 4:46 to cut the gap to 1 minutes, 44 seconds. The Ethiopian is fading, and the Kenyans are closing. This could still come down to the wire.

Sisay Lemma still leads despite slowdown on the hills — 11:25 a.m.

Sisay Lemma’s pace has dropped significantly with a 5:28 21st mile, by far his slowest of the race, but he’s through the hills with a lead of 2 minutes, 13 seconds over the chasers, who may simply run out of real estate. He’s picked it back up, running his 22nd mile in 5:02 — the chasers will have to close the final four miles a little over 30 seconds per mile faster than Lemma, so if the Ethiopian can maintain a pace around 5:00 per mile, Evans Chebet and John Korir might not have enough time to catch him.

An update on the women’s elite race — 11:18 a.m.

It’s still a fairly cagey affair in the women’s open race as they approach the Newton hills, with 18 women hitting 25K (15.5 miles) in 1:26:05, which is 5:35 per mile pace. Americans Sara Hall and Emma Bates, as well as defending champion Hellen Obiri, are still in the mix, but 2018 Boston Marathon champion Des Linden has dropped well back.

Sisay Lemma is cruising through Newton — 11:11 a.m.

Sisay Lemma hits 19 miles, and he’s still absolutely flying. He’s averaging 4:41 per mile, but has slowed over the last couple of miles as he works through the Newton hills — his last three mile splits have been 5:02, 4:58, and 4:54. But his lead has only grown, with Evans Chebet and the chase pack now trailing by nearly three minutes, which means Lemma is more than a half mile clear of his competitors with seven miles to run. The history of frontrunners hanging on in these circ*mstances isn’t good; even Meb Keflezighi only led just over a minute in his brilliant wire-to-wire win in 2014.

Why a world record in Boston wouldn’t count — 11:10 a.m.

The late Kelvin Kiptum sent a men’s marathon world record in Chicago last October with a time of 2:00:35.

Even if Sisay Lemma were to meet that mark, it wouldn’t count. Because it’s Boston.

According to World Athletics rules, world records in certified road race marathons can only happen on specific types of courses. Boston, unlike several other World Marathon Majors, does not go in a loop (or have its finish line within relatively close proximity to the starting point).

”Performances achieved on courses where the start and finish points, measured along a theoretical straight line between them, are further apart than 50% of the race distance are … not valid for world records,” reads the World Athletics website.

The reason for this is due to the consistency a looped course creates, especially regarding wind. A “point-to-point” marathon (such as Boston) could potentially force runners to deal with a headwind (or tailwind) for a majority of the race.

The other reason a record in Boston can’t officially count is due to elevation. Specifically, World Athletics deems that “Performances achieved on courses with a drop in elevation between the start and the finish which exceeds 1:1000, i.e. one meter per kilometer” are also not valid for world records.

Elevation changes beyond the 1:1000 scale can — like wind on a non-loop course — serve to create unnatural conditions for runners, potentially helping (on downhill) or hurting (on uphill).

Over the entirety of the course, the Boston Marathon descends approximately 137 meters, putting its scale of elevation change close to 3.24 meters per kilometer.

Who is Eden Rainbow-Cooper? Meet the women’s wheelchair winner. — 11:05 a.m.

Eden Rainbow-Cooper, a 22-year-old from Great Britain, won the women’s wheelchair race in 1:35:11 — a personal best. She is the first British woman to win the Boston Marathon.

Rainbow-Cooper was born with sacral agenesis, a rare birth defect in which the fetal development of the lower spine is abnormal. She was first introduced to wheelchair racing as a high schooler and trained under British six-time Paralympic champion David Weir at The Weir Archer Academy.

Last year, Rainbow-Cooper finished fourth in the New York Marathon (1:49:34), seventh in the London Marathon (1:47:43), and seventh in the Boston Marathon (2:06:45). Her victory on Monday is her first career win at a major marathon.

At the BAA 5K race on Saturday, Rainbow-Cooper won the women’s wheelchair division with a time of 12:04.

An update from the elite women at the halfway mark — 11:01 a.m.

The two elite open races could not be more different. While Sisay Lemma continues to absolutely fly out front in the men’s race — he’s more than two minutes clear of Evans Chebet and company — the women remain in a big pack with 21 women still in the mix at mile 12. Americans Emma Bates and Sara Hall are at the front of that pack, with defending champion Hellen Obiri and all the expected favorites still hanging around.

At the half, the women come through in 1:12:33, a very measured pace for the best in the world.

Bates, last year’s top American, is soaking in all the atmosphere, doling out dozens of high-fives as the women pass through the Wellesley scream tunnel.

Des Linden is back — 11:00 a.m.

By Sarah Barber

Des Linden knows Boston, and Boston knows Des Linden.

The 2018 Boston Marathon champion and five-time top-five finisher returns this year for her 11th time on the course.

Linden, 40, is widely known in the running community for her perseverance against the weather during the 2018 race, the first time the course was won by a woman in 33 years. She’s fresh off of an 11th place finish in February’s US Olympic Trials (2:28:04), and finished 18th overall in Boston in 2023 with a time of 2:27:18.

Though Linden isn’t as competitive as she used to be, she’s excited as ever to run down Boylston.

“I can’t wait to take on the iconic course for an 11th time and have the opportunity to mix it up with some of the best runners in the world,” Linden told the BAA back in February.

Here to cheer on one of their own — 10:55 a.m.

By Daniel Kool

Rose Chitlah, 48, skipped down Boylston, just past to the finish line, just before 9.a.m., walking with about a half-dozen friends and family members, all wearing shirts in the colors of the Tanzanian flag.

She recorded a video of children jumping up and down, holding out their shirts and smiling widely.

Chitlah said they were out to cheer on Gabriel Geay, the Tanzanian runner who took second place in last year’s Marathon.

Chitlah was near the finish line when Geay took silver last year and said she “was almost crying, I was very happy.”

“I think he’s going to be the winner this time,” she said.

The family drove to Boston from Maine Monday morning — but getting a spot at the finish line was worth the early trip, Chitlah said.

Sisay Lemma is way out front. Who is this guy? — 10:50 a.m.

By Matty Wasserman

After setting the course record at the Valencia Marathon in December (2:01.48), becoming the fourth-ever man to run under 2:02, 33-year-old Ethiopian Sisay Lemma is looking to carry his momentum into an improved effort at the Boston Marathon.

While Lemma shattered his personal best by nearly two minutes at Valencia, a notoriously fast and flat course, he has struggled previously with the hillier Boston terrain — his three prior attempts were a DNF in 2017, a 30th place finish in 2019, and a DNF in 2022.

Lemma started running at age 17 and competed barefoot early in his career due to his lack of running shoes.

In 2021, he won the London Marathon in a time of 2:04.01. He also finished third in the event in 2020.

Lemma said he considered returning to the London Marathon, which will be held next week. But despite his past struggles, he opted for Boston to avoid competing head-to-head in London with fellow Ethiopian Tamirat Tola, the reigning New York Marathon winner, with both runners aiming to be selected by Ethiopia for the upcoming Olympics.

Catching up with Gronk, the race grand marshal — 10:45 a.m.

By Ethan Fuller

Rob Gronkowski can’t avoid the question everyone is asking.

Would the former Patriots star and four-time Super Bowl champion ever run the Boston Marathon?Gronkowski, who toured the course by car Monday morning as the 2024 grand marshal, was noncommittal but firm in his answer.

”It’s not a no,” he said after crossing the finish line.”I can possibly do this in the future — run the Marathon in the future. I’m gonna have to start practicing now — maybe start with a 5K again, and do a double-5K, and just keep ramping it up from there. So that’s a possibility; I’d be one of the biggest people to do it.”

Gronkowski, at 6 feet, 6 inches, can look to Zdeno Chara as a blueprint. The former Bruins great is running Boston for the second time.

”He’s a beast,” Gronkowski said. “He’s 6-9, he’s a little bit taller than me, and he’s got some endurance.”

Gronkowski has experienced plenty of Boston celebrations, from his three parades with the Patriots, to throwing out the first pitch at Fenway Park Monday morning immediately following his grand marshal duties.

”It was just so cool to experience everyone alongside the road, just there to support all the runners coming by, cheering all the runners, [and] all the people that are volunteering as well,” he said.

Eden Rainbow-Cooper wins women’s wheelchair race — 10:40 a.m.

An incredible win for Eden Rainbow-Cooper, who crosses the line for her first Marathon Major win in 1 hour, 35 minutes, 11 seconds. The 22-year-old entered with only the 10th-fastest personal best in the field, but she has vanquished four-time champion Manuela Schär in dominant fashion to become the first British woman to win Boston in either the open or wheelchair divisions, and the first Briton to win a title since Geoff Smith won the men’s open race in 1985.

“It really took everything, it was such a mentally tough challenge,” Rainbow-Cooper said. “… I only started two years ago and it took absolutely everything and I can’t believe it.”

There’s a clear leader in the men’s elite race — 10:38 a.m.

Sisay Lemma is absolutely flying, but he’s got a long way to go. The fastest man in the field hits the half-marathon in an incredible 1 hour, 19 seconds, which is right on world record pace. The world record can’t be set at Boston, which isn’t an eligible course for that mark, and there’s a long way to go, but this is a very brave run from the Ethiopian.

Maybe Evans Chebet is sensing danger; the two-time defending champion has now strung out the chase pack, which has thinned to single file as they start to try to reel in Lemma; they’ve got a lot of work to do.

Hug’s wheelchair designers cheer his seventh win — 10:35 a.m.

By Daniel Kool

As Marcel Hug shot down Boylston, taking his seventh crown in the men’s wheelchair division, a crew of engineers and representatives of the Swiss Consulate, who helped design his wheelchair, watched with little surprise.

Adrian Schwarz, senior project manager for high-end product development at Sauber Technologies, stood on the barricade a few hundred yards from the finish line, filming as Hug whizzed by.

”He won seven times now,” Schwarz said, “it’s not a surprise.”

The second-place finisher was around a mile back by the time Hug crossed he finish line to set a new course record of 1:15:33. Schwarz said that sort of margin is, at this point, typical for Hug.

”With Marcel it’s kind of usual, yes, he’s really strong,” he said.

Benjamin Bollmam, CEO of Swissnex, laughed and said Hug crashed “because he was too fast.”

Minutes earlier, Bollmam watched Hug pass Coolidge Corner on a livestream. Around him, others waved plastic Swiss flags. A young boy held a sign that read “HOPP SWISS” — meaning Go Switzerland — in white lettering.

Rainbow-Cooper is dominating the women’s wheelchair field — 10:30 a.m.

Eden Rainbow-Cooper is pulling away in the women’s wheelchair race. Four-time champion Manuela Schär had closed to within 30 seconds going past Boston College, but the 22-year-old Rainbow-Cooper extended her lead to 56 seconds at mile 23, and looks like she’s on for her first Marathon Major win, barring a blazing final three miles from the Swiss athlete.

Weather update: Healthy tailwind aids runners’ performance — 10:23 a.m.

By Ken Mahan

Runners are getting an added boost today with an expected tailwind from the west/northeast of between 8 and 13 miles per hour throughout the day. The course runs mostly to the northeast from Hopkinton, so today’s wind will float between a partial and full tailwind and give runners a pep in their step.

Tailwinds of 10 miles per hour can give runners a 5-second advantage per mile. In fact, the 2011 Boston Marathon course record of 2:03:02 (held by Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai) can be partly attributed to a healthy tailwind of nearly 20 miles per hour. And that tailwind was from the west/southwest, making for a full tailwind much of the day for runners.

When faced with the opposite – a headwind – the friction causes runners to burn more energy to push through the elements. Fortunately, that won’t be the case today.

Marcel Hug breaks course record, wins men’s wheelchair division — 10:18 a.m.

Marcel Hug has smashed his own course record, wheeling down Boylston Street and finishing in a stunning 1 hour, 15 minutes, 33 seconds, a 90-second improvement over his own mark from last year. The Swiss athlete claims his seventh Boston Marathon wheelchair title in spectacular fashion, despite near-disaster with a big spill at the Newton firehouse.

Eden Rainbow-Cooper still leads the women, but Manuela Schär is starting to close, cutting the gap to 48 seconds at 30K as the hills start piling on.

Kelvin Kiptum, the world record-holder in the marathon, died in his prime. His fellow Kenyans are running in his honor. — 10:15 a.m.

By John Powers

Sunday was to be the day he would go after the ultimate barrier in Rotterdam. Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum had streaked across the marathoning world like a comet, winning his first three outings in less than 11 months and shattering the global record last autumn in Chicago.

”We were really looking forward to what he was going to do,” said countryman Geoffrey Kamworor, who was Kiptum’s fellow villager and boyhood idol. “Because his ambition was to run it under two hours.”

Only Eliud Kipchoge had broken the marathon equivalent of the four-minute mile, running 1:59:40 in Vienna in 2019. But since Kipchoge ran by himself behind a pace car with a rotating group of rabbits, his time was ineligible for a world mark.

But after Kiptum went 2:00:35, shattering Kipchoge’s standard by an astonishing 34 seconds, going sub-2:00 on a pancake course in the Netherlands seemed feasible.

”The way he ran in Chicago, it was probably possible given his amazing potential,” reckoned Evans Chebet, who’ll be going after his third consecutive Boston Marathon title on Patriots Day.

That potential was cruelly erased in February when the 24-year-old Kiptum died in an automobile accident in western Kenya, leaving behind a wife and two children.

”[He was] an athlete who had a whole life ahead of him to achieve incredible greatness,” said Kipchoge, the two-time Olympic champion whose duel with Kiptum in Paris loomed as one of the highlights of this summer’s Games.

Read the full story here.

The para-athletic divisions are off — 10:12 a.m.

Boston is the only one of the six majors to hand out money to winners of its para-athletics divisions. There are seven this year — which include athletes with upper limb, lower limb, and visual impairments. Male and female winners of each receive $2,500.

Only the top three para-athletic finishers earn prize money, and along with a $500 course record bonus available for each division, the total para-athletics purse is $77,000.

Sisay Lemma is cooking — 10:10 a.m.

Sisay Lemma has broken the men’s race wide open, as the fastest man in the field crosses 10K in a blazing 28 minutes, 28 seconds, which is 4:35 mile pace. Evans Chebet and Gabriel Geay lead the chase pack, which looks to be about eight men deep with a 25 second gap behind the Ethiopian leader.

Turning tragedy to triumph — 10:08 a.m.

By Ava Berger

The Reny family had the worst day of their lives 11 years ago. But according to 29-year-old Gillian Reny, they’ve turned it into the “best.”

Audrey Epstein Reny, her husband, Steven Reny, and their daughter, Gillian, were standing at the finish line in 2013 waiting for their eldest daughter, Danielle, to finish her 26.2 miles.

When the bombs went off, the three family members sustained injuries and Gillian’s injuries were “critical,” Audrey, 59, said around 9 a.m, while watching runners board the buses at Boston Common.

The next year, the family started the Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Fund in honor of the medical team that helped Gillian overcome her severe injuries, Audrey said.

Monday’s race is “special,” Audrey said, because the family is now celebrating a decade of the fund, which has raised $30 million for trauma innovation research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

”It’s a day we would undo in a heartbeat, but we created something out of that tragedy that now provides hope and inspiration,” Audrey said.

Wearing bright pink “Stepping Strong” shirts, a group of 151 runners gathered at 9 a.m. outside the Starbucks at the Boston Common to take a final picture before the race.

”We didn’t know when we started if the mission would resonate with anybody, but it’s really provided a purpose for people when they’re running the marathon,” Audrey said. “It unites them and brings them together.”

Gillian, who held a large Stepping Strong sign, said it “means so much” to have such a large team running for the fund.

”It’s so nice to see such a big team show up for us and support our cause,” Gillian said.

Forecast update: Temps looking a tad warmer along marathon route — 10:07 a.m.

By Marianne Mizera

The forecast is now calling for temperatures to be a couple of degrees warmer than expected for the race.

Globe meteorologist Ken Mahan said temps along the race route from Hopkinton to Boston should reach into the mid-60s Monday afternoon, with Greater Boston hitting the 60-degree mark between noon and 2 p.m.

”More clouds cleared out last night than expected, so we can expect more sunshine out of the gate to bump up temperatures a degree or two more,” Mahan said.

The optimal running temperature ranges between 44 and 59 degrees. And that is supported with 70% of the major North American marathon records having been set with temperatures within this range.

Who is Emma Bates? — 10:05 a.m.

By Sarah Barber

Emma Bates is hungry.

Last April, she ran a personal best of 2:22:10, placing fifth in the women’s race at Boston, and was the only American woman to finish in the top 10.

Her time was just shy of Shalane Flanagan’s American women’s record (2:22:02), but Bates, 31, seems to just be gaining momentum. In 2022, she placed seventh at the world championships (2:23:18) and finished eighth in New York (2:26:53).

The competition in the pro women’s field is steep, with defending champion Hellen Obiri of Kenya looking for a repeat, but Bates isn’t someone to count out. The Minnesota native did not compete in the 2024 US Olympic trials due to a foot injury she sustained during the 2023 Chicago Marathon (2:25:04), but she’s in Boston ready to take on the course this Monday.

American runners are in the mix — 10:00 a.m.

The Americans are well in the mix in the women’s race, with Emma Bates — last year’s top American — out front. Sara Hall and Caroline Rotich are also in the lead pack, and defending champion Hellen Obiri is hot on Bates’s heels.

In the men’s race, Ethiopia’s Sisay Lemma has broken things open early, stretching his lead at the front of the race to about 15 seconds with Gabriel Geay and Evans Chebet content to sit back in the chase pack.

The first wave of non-elites has taken the course — 10:00 a.m.

Runners with bib numbers 201-7,999 started their races at 10 a.m.

Wave 2 (Bib Nos. 8,000-15,999) will start at 10:25, Wave 3 (16,000-23,999) at 10:50, and Wave 4 (Bib Nos. 24,000-32,399) at 11:15 a.m.

Marcel Hug takes a spill, but he’s still on course record pace — 9:57 a.m.

Near-disaster for Marcel Hug, who took a big tumble as he hung the right turn at the Newton firehouse. The Swiss carried a little too much speed into the right-hander and lost control, crashing into the barriers on the far side; he seems okay, quickly righting his chair and getting back on pace without any further trouble.

He remains on track to break his own course record.

Rainbow-Cooper is holding court at the front of the women’s wheelchair race — 9:53 a.m.

An update on the wheelchair races: 22-year-old Eden Rainbow-Cooper continues to lead the women as she hits the half in 44 minutes, 23 seconds, with Manuela Schär and Madison de Rozario just over a minute behind.

Marcel Hug, meanwhile, looks set for another dominant win as he leads by more than four minutes through the Newton hills.

An update from the elite runners — 9:51 a.m.

Joan Benoit Samuelson gets the women’s open race started, and all four of our professional races are underway. Can anyone stop Hellen Obiri’s stunning start to her marathon career? The deepest women’s field ever will try.

On the men’s side, Yuma Morii has already come back to the back, and it’s Ethiopia’s Sisay Lemma — the fastest man in the field by personal best — who has opened a bit of a gap on the pack. He came through two miles in 9 minutes, 19 seconds, with Evans Chebet just a few steps back.

Keeping a legacy alive — 9:50 a.m.

By Chris Serres

Robert Orell started running when he learned last year that a coworker at the Worcester middle school where he teaches was dying of breast cancer. And he hasn’t stopped running since.

On Monday, Orell is donning the initials of his coworker — Melissa Hathaway — on his jersey as he raced through the streets of Boston. Orell’s parents showed up at the starting line with a large sign saying, “You got this!” As of Monday, Orell had raised $9,300 to be donated to Boston Medical Center cancer research in Hathaway’s honor.

Hathaway died last April after a long bout with breast cancer. Before she died, she cheered for Orell at two smaller races.

”She made such a difference in his life,” said Cathy Orell, his mother. “This is Rob’s way of giving back and keeping her spirit alive.”

The women’s elite race has begun — 9:47 a.m.

Hellen Obiri, Hiwot Gebremaryam, Tadu Teshome, and Des Linden are among the names to watch as the elite runners take the course.

Here are the remaining start times:

9:50 a.m.: Para athletics divisions

10 a.m.: Wave 1

10:25 a.m.: Wave 2

10:50 a.m.: Wave 3

11:15 a.m.: Wave 4

Japan’s Yuma Morii is leading early in the men’s elite race — 9:42 a.m.

The men’s open field is off, and Evans Chebet’s second consecutive title defense begins. The stakes are high for him today, and not just historically — he’s on the outside looking in for a spot on the Kenyan Olympic team for the Paris Games, and a strong performance today could help his chances.

Japan’s Yuma Morii, however, is way out front already. With a personal best more than 10 minutes slower than the favorites, a shock wire-to-wire win seems unlikely and this approach usually goes south — just ask C.J. Albertson.

The men’s elite race is underway — 9:37 a.m.

The runners have hit the course, as Evans Chebet is looking to become the first runner since 2008 to win three straight Boston Marathons.

The women’s elite field will head to the start line in just a few minutes.

What to know about the men’s and women’s elite runners — 9:35 a.m.

No surprises here: the man to beat in the men’s open race is two-time defending champion Evans Chebet, who can become the first runner since Robert Kipkoech Cheiryout in 2008 to make it three in a row. He’ll likely have Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay, Chebet’s biggest challenger last April, for company at the front, as well as Ethiopia’s Sisay Lemma, whose 2:01:48 run in Valencia makes him the fastest man in the race by personal best. Kenya’s Cybrian Kotut and Ethiopia’s Haftu Teklu and Shura Kitata are the other sub-2:05 men in the field that could make a run at the front.

Defending champion Hellen Obiri is back, and she’s the favorite in the women’s race coming off back-to-back wins in Boston and New York in 2023. The Olympic silver medalist over 5,000 meters has proven her elite speed translates to a marathon kick, but the deepest women’s field in the Marathon’s history will give her plenty of company; nine women in this race have run under 2:20 — Obiri is yet to crack 2:21 for 26.2 — led by Ethiopians Tadu Teshome (2:17:36) and Hiwot Gebremaryam (2:17:59). But fast runs on a flat course in Valencia, Spain, are a long way from the hills of Boston, and former champions Edna Kiplagat and Caroline Rotich can’t be counted out, either.

The men’s and women’s elite runners are about to get underway — 9:30 a.m.

The men will begin at 9:37, and the women wills tart at 9:47.

Hug has widened the gap, but the women’s field has a new leader — 9:26 a.m.

Marcel Hug is taking control right away in the men’s race, leading by more than a minute as he’s already into Natick after coming through 10K in 15 minutes, 30 seconds. On the women’s side, it’s not Manuela Schär in front; England’s Eden Rainbow-Cooper rolled through 10K in 18 minutes, 43 seconds, with four-time champion Schär more than a minute back along with four other racers in the chase pack.

Hug and Schär are the early leaders in the wheelchair races — 9:15 a.m.

The wheelchair race is off, and there are no surprises at the front. Switzerland’s Marcel Hug is way out front in the men’s race already, blazing through the first three miles (mostly downhill) in 6 minutes, 48 seconds. Fellow Swiss Manuela Schär already has a gap on the women’s side, hitting two miles in 5 minutes, 22 seconds. Both might be after their own course records today.

Runners are gearing up for a ‘26-mile party’ — 9:12 a.m.

By Ava Berger

Travis Laqua, 41, is 6′4″ but with his leprechaun hat on, he almost hits seven feet.

The Houston native is used to running in the heat, so he knew his velvet green shorts, long green trench coat, and scraggly beard would not deter him during his race in Boston.

”I know I can take the heat,” Laqua said. “Nobody really knows you as a regular runner, but when you’re running in costume, everyone cheers.”

Laqua has run four of his 14 total marathons in costume, decked out as Spider-Man, Superman, the Green Lantern, and the Flash.

”The kids love it,” Laqua said. “I hope I get some support because I came to support Boston.”Laqua plans to enjoy every second of the marathon, and of course, have a drink when he finishes.

”For me, it’s a 26-mile party,” Laqua said. “I hope there’s some beer. I know Bostonians love to drink.”

The women’s elite wheelchair race has begun — 9:05 a.m.

Three minutes after the first starting gun went off, the women’s elite wheelchair field also got the go-ahead.

Now, the folks at the starting line in Hopkinton have about half an hour to prepare for the elite runners.

The 128th Boston Marathon is underway — 9:02 a.m.

And they’re off!

The race kicked off with the men’s elite wheelchair field at 9:02. The women’s elite wheelchair field starts at 9:05, followed by the elite men at 9:37 and the elite women at 9:47.

Ayla Brown sings the anthem, and the flyover takes off — 8:56 a.m.

Today’s anthem singer is Ayla Brown, daughter of former US senator Scott Brown.

Brown is a former basketball player, having played for Boston College from 2006 to 2010. She was also on the fifth season of American Idol.

Two F-35s from the 158th Fighter Wing out of the Vermont Air National Guard are flying from Hopkinton to Boston — it takes approximately 4 minutes.

What to know about the women’s wheelchair field — 8:50 a.m.

By Amin Touri

With defending champion Susannah Scaroni withdrawing ahead of Monday, four-time winner Manuela Schär looks like a favorite to make it a Swiss sweep in the wheelchair races, without either Scaroni or five-time winner Tatyana McFadden for company. Australia’s Madison de Rozario, last year’s runner-up, looks like the biggest threat to Schär, though De Rozario finished 11 minutes off the lead in Schär’s last win in 2022.

What to know about the men’s wheelchair field — 8:45 a.m.

By Amin Touri

Monday’s first starting gun is reserved for the men’s wheelchair race, and as it’s been for nearly a decade, Switzerland’s Marcel Hug is the man to beat. Hug has broken the tape on Boylston Street six times in the last eight editions of the Boston Marathon, setting multiple course records — including a 1:17:06 finish last year — in dominant fashion.

Among his primary challengers are former winners in American Daniel Romanchuk (2019, 2022) and Canadian Joshua Cassidy (2012), but Hüg remains the favorite.

📸 Photos from across the course — 8:40 a.m.

What to know about the elite fields — 8:35 a.m.

By Amin Touri

Boston is a tricky puzzle to solve for even the world’s best marathoners — just ask Eliud Kipchoge — but Evans Chebet seems to have cracked the code.

Chebet can win his third consecutive Boston Marathon on Monday, but he’s not short on challengers. Tanzanian Gabriel Geay, who was hot on Chebet’s heels in the closing stages last year, is back for another crack at the crown. The fastest personal best in the field belongs to Ethiopia’s Sisay Lemma, who ran a brilliant 2:01:48 in Valencia in December, but who also has a difficult history with Boston; he didn’t finish the race in 2022 and struggled to a 2:22:08 disappointment in 2019.

Hellen Obiri is back to defend her title in the women’s race, looking to extend her incredible start to her road career having won both Boston and New York in 2023 in just her second and third marathons. But there are an incredible 15 women with personal bests faster than Obiri’s 2:21:38, led by Ethiopians Tadu Teshome and Hiwot Gebremariam, who have both dipped under 2:18.

In the wheelchair division, defending champion Marcel Hug of Switzerland will chase his seventh men’s title on Monday. American Susannah Scaroni was set to defend her women’s crown but has withdrawn from the race, opening the door for Manuela Schär as a favorite to win her fifth title.

MIT students bring the energy — 8:25 a.m.

By Ava Berger

A quiet nervousness settled in the crowd among the throngs of runners rushing to board a yellow school bus at 8 a.m.

But when runners reached bus 16, six volunteers — four on the ground and two hanging out the window — from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Alpha Chi Omega sorority blasted “Dancing Queen,” and cheered.

“We wanted to bring up the energy because everyone seems sleepy,” said Himani Kamineni, 18.

Runners smiled, danced along, and even stopped to take videos as they filtered past.

“This is exactly the music I needed,” one racer shouted as she ran by the table to her bus.

City honors victims of 2013 Marathon bombing — 8:15 a.m.

By Emma Healy

Mayor Michelle Wu and Governor Maura Healey joined survivors and family members of the victims of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing to lay wreaths at the site of the attacks. Monday’s Marathon marks 11 years to the day since two bombs went off near the finish line on Boylston Street, killing Martin Richard, Krystle Campbell, and Lingzi Lu, while injuring countless others. Police officer Sean Collier was killed days later in a shootout with one of the men responsible for the attack; Dennis Simmonds also died after being wounded.

A bagpiper played “Amazing Grace” as the procession walked to and from the site of the attack, and a moment of silence was held to honor the victims.

Where it all starts: Hopkinton is celebrating its 100th anniversary as host of the Boston Marathon — 8:00 a.m.

By John Hilliard

Jacques “Jack” LeDuc has seemingly done it all for the Boston Marathon. He painted the starting line each year for 36 years. He’s also a longtime race announcer, calling out the start of each wave of the race, which includes 30,000 runners. He even ran in the race for more than a decade.

“This is the Holy Grail for long-distance running; it’s the granddaddy,” said LeDuc, 73. “I wanted to put the best foot forward for the town and the race itself.”

The transformation from a small town in Boston’s western suburbs into the seeming center of the running universe is a labor of love for locals, who spend months each year preparing for the signature event that has long been central to their community’s identity.

“It just brings the spirit; it’s the ability of a small town to do something for the world,” said Mary Jo LaFreniere, 75, a member of the town’s Select Board and a longtime race volunteer.

For residents of this town of 19,000 west of Boston, where Interstate 495 crosses the Mass Pike, the marathon more than doubles each year on the third Monday of April. Thousands of spectators crowd the starting line near the corner of East Main and Ash streets.

Read more about Hopkinton’s 100th year as the town at the start.

📸 At the Athletes’ Village — 7:50 a.m.

A pep talk for the police escorts — 7:45 a.m.

By Chris Serres

Lieutenant Colonel John E. Mawn, Jr. as Massachusetts State Police Colonel gives a rousing pep talk to dozens of state police officers gathered near the start line in Hopkinton. They will be escorting the wheelchair athletes and elite runners in a convoy of SUVs. “We all know what happened here before - and we want to make sure it doesn’t ever happen again,” Mawn told the officers, referring to the 2013 bombing.

Here’s your latest Marathon forecast — 7:35 a.m.

By Ken Mahan

It’s shaping up to be a fantastic spring day from sunrise to sunset.

You can plan on mostly to partly sunny skies wherever you are along the race route, with temperatures starting the day in the low 50s pre-race (the men’s wheelchair division kicks off the race at 9:02 a.m.) and quickly rising to the low to mid-60s by noon in Greater Boston — a bit on the warm side for runners.

But there will be a slight breeze from the west/northwest throughout the day — a barely noticeable 5 to 12 miles per hour to spectators but a helpful tailwind for runners. Also, the passing of showers across New England Sunday night has welcomed dry air into the area, knocking humidity values down to 30% to 60%, which should keep runners comfortable.

Other than a few leftover small puddles, all signs point to a wonderful day, starting with the men’s wheelchair race at 9:02 a.m.

If you’re heading to a particular point along the marathon route, here’s a town-by-town course forecast to see how Monday’s weather plays out during prime viewing and racing event times.

How much money do you get if you win the Boston Marathon? — 7:25 a.m.

By Sam Robb O’Hagan

Beyond the prestige of winning an iconic race, the Boston Marathon pays pretty well, too — $150,000, to be exact.

That’s how much the first man and woman in the open division to cross the finish line on Boylston Street will take home on Monday. Second place gets $75,000.

Money is awarded to the 10 highest finishers, with 10th taking home $5,500.

The winners of the wheelchair division will win $40,000 apiece. Second earns $25,000 down to 10th, which awards $1,500.

Read more here.

A behind-the-scenes tradition — 7:10 a.m.

One of the cool Marathon traditions you only get to see if you’re at the media center early: The BAA and Fairmont Copley Plaza staff gather to celebrate the elite runners as the head to the buses.

Huge cheers for Meb, the 2014 winner, who is running for charity today.

This year’s field is incredibly fast. Find out how many qualifiers were turned away. — 7:00 a.m.

By Molly Farrar

The Boston Athletic Association turned away a record number of applications for the 2024 Boston Marathon, and runners who got one of the coveted spots at the starting line were more than five minutes faster than the qualifying time for their age and gender group.

The BAA said more than 33,000 qualified participants applied for the race, and they ended up turning away 11,039 qualifying runners. The 22,019 who will be running on Marathon Monday were faster than their age and gender group’s qualifying time by at least 5 minutes and 29 seconds.

See the qualifying times broken down by age and gender here.

At times, marathoning and motherhood have been at odds. At this year’s Marathon, it’ll be anything but. — 6:45 a.m.

By Tara Sullivan

Sitting under a New Hampshire sky, Fiona English was joyous. Taking in the recent eclipse, celebrating the first birthday of her son Alder, anticipating her first Boston Marathon, it felt, she said, “like the end of my story.

“I can run my victory lap around Boston.”

A little over a year ago, from her home in London, English was feeling anything but joy. She’d posted a public letter to the Boston Marathon that quickly went viral, in which she shared details of her failed attempt to get a deferral due to pregnancy. She’d been denied by a Boston Athletic Association still constrained by an outdated policy, one that made no exception for pregnancy, despite, in this case, English’s due date falling just two days before the race, leaving it both unwise and unsafe for her to travel and run.

In credit to the BAA, change came quickly. A policy shift, the organization said, was mere dotted I’s and crossed T’s away from being done, soon granting pregnant entrants who would prefer to defer two additional years to use their qualifying time, with an additional opportunity to extend by another year if they get pregnant a second time in that span.

One year later, English is back, a 17-time marathoner and ultra-distance runner determined, she said, “to be on the start line where history is made.”

Read more about marathoners who are mothers here.

They call 26.TRUE the ‘real’ Boston marathon. Here’s why. — 6:35 a.m.

By Tiana Woodard and Laura Crimaldi

When Jeremy Guevara ran the Boston Marathon in 2022, one thought got stuck in his head as he jogged through suburban towns: “I wasn’t even supposed to be there.”

Everything about Guevara, a first-generation Latino weighing 250 pounds, stood out amid the sea of mostly white, lanky athletes trekking through Hopkinton, Wellesley, Newton, and Brookline.

“You don’t want to feel that way, especially when you’re already doing something really hard,” Guevara said.

The unmissable fact that the Boston Marathon is overwhelmingly white helped fuel the creation of the race Guevara ran this weekend over the more historic one: 26.TRUE, a marathon course entirely within the city of Boston that organizers and advocates say is crucial to ensuring that people of color see long distance running as a viable and welcoming sport.

Read the full story here.

Boston Marathon wave start times and schedule — 6:25 a.m.

By Eli Cloutier

What time does the 2024 Boston Marathon start? The nearly 30,000-person field will begin the race in staggered waves.

First come the fastest participants: The professional wheelchair racers and elite men and women. Then, it’s on to the athletes who qualified or are raising money for charity.

Here is a look at the start and projected finish times for Monday’s race.

• 9:02 a.m.: Men’s wheelchair
• 9:05 a.m.: Women’s wheelchair
• 9:30 a.m.: Handcycle and duo teams
• 9:37 a.m.: Professional men
• 9:47 a.m.: Professional women
• 9:50 a.m.: Para athletics division
• 10:00 a.m.: Wave 1 (Bib Nos. 201-7,999)
• 10:25 a.m.: Wave 2 (Bib Nos. 8,000-15,999)
• 10:50 a.m.: Wave 3 (Bib Nos. 16,000-23,999)
• 11:15 a.m.: Wave 4 (Bib Nos. 24,000-32,999)

Got blisters and hideous toenails? Welcome to Marathon training. — 6:15 a.m.

By Beth Teitell

There’s the marathon swag that everyone recognizes — medals, bibs, T-shirts. Then there are the other trophies, earned during the long slog of training and admired by only insiders.

Toenails so black they’d unsettle an equine podiatrist. Chafing intense enough to inspire a new shade of lipstick. Blisters as angry as Trump.

Charity runner Indu Manikkam wears her self-described “badge of honor” on her feet, in the form of hard, dead skin. With sandal season coming up, non-runner friends are urging a pedicure, but they don’t understand.

“I like calluses,” said Manikkam, who is raising money for Special Olympics Massachusetts.

Running can be so beautiful, so inspirational, so “Chariots of Fire” — graceful young men running along the water’s edge as a stirring theme song rises. In Hollywood, in poem, and often in real life, to run is to overcome adversity, to strive for your best in a harsh world, to help raise money that makes a difference in people’s lives.

But civilians be warned: the sport also has a less glamorous side. Come Boston Marathon weekend, if you find yourself chatting with a runner, no matter how desperate for small talk you are, do not ask about the toll training takes on the body.

Read more here.

The convoys to Hopkinton take off — 6:10 a.m.

By Matt Pepin

They’re on the way.

Drivers on the Massachusetts Turnpike early Monday morning likely passed convoys of school buses heading toward Boston. Cities and towns around Eastern Massachusetts send fleets of buses to Boston Common to pick up runners and transport them to Hopkinton for the start of the Boston Marathon.

With many schools on spring vacation this week, buses are freed up to assist with getting runners out to the starting line.

According to the Boston Athletic Association, there are 29,451 athletes headed for Hopkinton Monday. The waves of starters in the 2024 Boston Marathon begins at 9:02 a.m. with the men’s wheelchair division, followed at 9:05 a.m. by the women’s wheelchair division.

The men’s professional runners field starts at 9:37, followed by the women at 9:47 a.m., then para athletes at 9:50. The first full wave of runners goes at 10 a.m.

What to know about the Marathon television broadcast — 6:00 a.m.

By Sofia Garrett

Ch. 5 in Boston (WCVB) is covering the race for the second year, alongside ESPN.

Ch. 5 coverage began at 4 a.m. and continues through a 7:30 p.m. special edition of Chronicle.

Until 8:30 a.m., the EyeOpener newscast will offer pre-race information from Hopkinton, the finish line, the Athletes’ Village, and Copley Square.

ESPN’s coverage begins at 8:30 a.m. and runs through 12:30 p.m. SportsCenter anchor John Anderson will call the professional race alongside analyst Carrie Tollefson, a 2004 Olympian, and Paralympic medalist Amanda McGrory, who has also raced in Boston.

WCVB anchors Ed Harding and Maria Stephanos and ESPN SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm will supply commentary from the finish line.

Starting at 12:30 p.m., when the broadcast ends on ESPN, Ch. 5 personalities will provide post-race coverage, including runner interviews from Boylston Street.

WCVB’s coverage of the race will also air on WMUR (Manchester, N.H.), WMTW (Portland, Me.), and WPTZ (Burlington, Vt., and Plattsburgh, N.Y.).

Learn more about the broadcast and how to livestream here.

Why does the Boston Marathon start in Hopkinton? — 5:45 a.m.

By Khari Thompson

A short walk away from the Ashland commuter rail stop lies Marathon Park, where a blue sign with gold letters and the image of runners captured mid-stride stands to greet visitors.

“Ashland,” the sign reads. “It all started here.”

The Boston Marathon began in 1897, but the starting line didn’t move from Ashland to neighboring Hopkinton until 1924.

“One hundred years ago this April was the last time the race started in Ashland,” said Tim Kilduff, president of the 26.2 Foundation.

The starting line’s current location is a short distance west of where it was when runners took off from Ashland’s Metcalf’s Mill during Boston’s first marathon.

So, why is the line in Hopkinton now? The answer, like the inspiration for the race itself, has Olympic roots.

Read more here.

Today’s weather forecast — 5:30 a.m.

By Dave Epstein

It’s looking like the weather is going to fully cooperate — sunny and warmer, in the low 60s — on Monday for the tens of thousands of runners set to hit the pavement and the spectators cheering them on.

If there was one issue with the forecast? It’s going to be a little bit warm for runners but nearly perfect for spectators. Runners tend to like temperatures in the 40s to around 50 degrees, preferably with some clouds and some wind. That would be an ideal sort of day.

Driving rain or unusual heat would obviously be unfavorable. We will have neither of those this year.

On average, it’s in the lower 50s at sunrise when many of the athletes are arriving in Hopkinton and ends up in the low to mid-60s by afternoon. This year will be pretty close to that. I expect temperatures to be right around that 50-degree mark when the sun comes up at 6 a.m. and around 61 or 62 by noontime.

See Epstein’s full Marathon Monday forecast here.

Celeb sighting: Your notable race participants — 5:15 a.m.

By Shannon Larson

From world-famous elite runners to those supporting a worthy cause, tens of thousands of athletes from across the globe will be participating in the Boston Marathon this year, winding their way through the 26.2-mile course that runs from Hopkinton to Boylston Street.

Among those likely to stand out in the packed field — and possibly catch the eyes of attendees — are a handful of notable names. The high-profile participants include previous champions, beloved sports stars, and recognizable faces from television. Meanwhile, former Patriots tight end and fan-favorite Rob Gronkowski will serve as this year’s grand marshal.

Here are some of the well-known participants in the 2024 Boston Marathon.

Happy Marathon Monday! Welcome to the Globe’s live updates. — 5:00 a.m.

By Katie McInerney, Globe Staff

There’s nothing like Marathon Monday. By the time the finish line at Boylston Street is dismantled tonight, more than 30,000 people will have conquered the 26.2-mile course.

The Globe has been there every step of the way, from the inaugural race in 1987 to the tragic ending of 2013. Today, we’ll offer you live coverage with reporters spread out from Hopkinton to the finish line. Follow along with us for instant race updates and results from the wheelchair and elite participants, and stick around for those stories we all know and love: The runners who push past the blisters, busted toenails, and cramps to achieve the ultimate victory — finishing the race.

Amin Touri can be reached at amin.touri@globe.com. Emma can be reached at emma.healy@globe.com or on X @_EmmaHealy_. Katie McInerney can be reached at katie.mcinerney@globe.com. Follow her @k8tmac. Ethan Fuller can be reached at ethan.fuller@globe.com.