Minute 1: The Boston Marathon is 10 days away - here's everything you need to know

Here in Boston, many of us consider Patriots Day to be the most fun day of the year. Revolutionary War tributes in Lexington & Concord, Red Sox first pitch at 11:00 am, and the finish of the Boston Marathon just a few blocks away from Fenway. Oh yeah, there’s also no school and limited office attendance that day.

As for the big race itself, last week Coach Greg McMillan offered some race-day strategy in: "Maximize your Boston Marathon Performance.” Greg recommends resisting the temptation to bank time on the early downhills, attacking the Newton Hills with your arms, and finishing strong through the crowd energy on Boylston Street. With the 130th edition of the world's oldest annual marathon just days away, consider that your final briefing.

This year's race on April 20 is shaping up to be a historic one, and we've put together a full guide in "What You Need to Know About the 2026 Boston Marathon" on our site. The 30,000-runner field represents 137 countries and all 50 U.S. states, and the elite lineup may be the deepest in the event's history: all four defending open and wheelchair division champions are entered, alongside U.S. record holders Emily Sisson and Zouhair Talbi, and a men's field featuring 24 sub-2:07 runners.

The B.A.A. has also redesigned the start for 2026, replacing the four-wave format with six waves of 3,200 to 7,100 runners to improve flow on race morning. Coverage begins at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN2, with local coverage on WCVB Channel 5 starting at 4 a.m. You can read the full breakdown on our site to explore the full details.

Before race day arrives, it's worth taking a moment to appreciate just how much history the course has absorbed - FloTrack's "The Biggest Moments Of The Boston Marathon, A Short History" traces the arc from the 24.5-mile debut in 1897 to Bobbi Gibb and Kathrine Switzer's barrier-breaking runs in the 1960s, the 1982 Duel in the Sun, and the resilience on display in 2014 when Meb Keflezighi became the first American man to win Boston in 31 years.

Source:
Six Minute Mile Newsletter