The 2024 Boston Marathon is April 15. Here's how to watch it on TV and stream it
The runners are getting ready and so are the crowds of people who love watching every year. It's a legendary day in a legendary town.
It's time for the 128th Boston Marathon, sponsored as always by the Boston Athletic Association. The event will take place on Monday, April 15, with 30,000 runners running from Hopkinton to Boston.
For those of us who can't be there in person for the 26.2-mile race, you can always watch it at home. Here's how to watch the marathon on television or stream it this year.
We also have you covered if you're trying to track how well a friend is doing on race day.
How to watch the Boston Marathon on TV
They'll start coverage at 4 a.m. with pre-race coverage and continue throughout the day.
Outside the local market, ESPN will broadcast the marathon starting at 8:30 a.m. on ESPN2 and ESPN+. ESPN+ has additional streams beginning at 4 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
How to stream the Boston Marathon
For those who want to watch the marathon online, there are a few options.
WCVB, WMUR, WMTW and WPTZ are all live streaming the race, as well as Very Local Boston.
"For free access, install the Very Local app on any mobile, tablet or connected TV device including Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV," a press release from WCVB said.
How to track your favorite runner in the Boston Marathon
The BAA Racing App will also host the race's leaderboards and unofficial results for runners as they cross the finish line.
The BAA website will offer the ability to search for athletes during the race and view leaderboards in real time.
Boston Marathon start times
Military March: 6 a.m.
Men’s Wheelchair: 9:02 a.m.
Women’s Wheelchair: 9:05 a.m.
Handcycles and Duos: 9:30 a.m.
Professional Men: 9:37 a.m.
Professional Women: 9:47 a.m.
Para Athletics Division: 9:50 a.m.
Rest of Field Rolling Start Begins: 10 a.m.
Rest of Field Rolling Start Ends: 11:15 a.m.
How to Watch the 2024 Boston Marathon Online Without Cable
The world’s oldest marathon is back for its 128th running on Monday — here’s how to watch it online
How to Watch the 2024 Boston Marathon Online
The 2024 Boston Marathon is being broadcast on ESPN2, but spectators without cable can tune in using a live TV streaming service or ESPN+. Here’s a breakdown of all the best ways to watch the 2024 Boston Marathon, including pricing and free trial information.
Stream the Boston Marathon on DirecTV Stream
EDITOR’S PICK
DirecTV Stream is often our top recommendation for watching sports without cable. The streamer carries ESPN2 in its Entertainment package (the most affordable plan) which offers more than 90 channels total. All DirecTV Stream packages also start with a five-day free trial. After that, the Entertainment plan will cost $79.99 a month.
GET FREE TRIAL AT DIRECTV STREAM
Stream the Boston Marathon on ESPN+
MOST AFFORDABLE
ESPN+ is a much more affordable option for watching the Boston Marathon this year, although it doesn’t offer a free trial. ESPN+ costs $10.99 a month or $108.99 a year if you pay annually. Besides a Boston Marathon livestream, ESPN+ also offers coverage of college football, UFC, soccer, NHL, and more.
GET ESPN+ $10.99
Stream the Boston Marathon on fubo
FREE TRIAL
Another live TV streaming service with a free trial that you can use to watch the 2024 Boston Marathon is fubo. Subscriptions start with a seven-day free trial, and then packages start at $79.99 a month after that. fubo’s most affordable plan, the Pro package, includes almost 200 channels including ESPN2.
GET FREE TRIAL AT FUBO
Stream the Boston Marathon on Sling
ALSO CONSIDER
Sling — a popular, budget-friendly live TV streaming service — carries ESPN2 in its 32-channel Orange package. This plan costs just $40 a month (no free trial), making it much more affordable than most live TV streamers.
GET SLING ORANGE $40
Stream the Boston Marathon on Hulu + Live TV
BEST BUNDLE
In terms of overall value, Hulu + Live TV is one of the best streaming services out there. It costs $76.99 a month (no free trial), which isn’t cheap, but you get access to more than 95 live TV channels, Hulu (on-demand), ESPN+, and Disney+. Since it carries ESPN2, that means you can tune into the Boston Marathon on either ESPN+ or ESPN2.
GET HULU + LIVE TV $76.99
Get a Free Boston Marathon Livestream
Want to watch the 2024 Boston Marathon for free? You’re in luck. Thanks to the free trials offered by DirecTV Stream and fubo, you can watch the race without paying. Just sign up for either free trial, watch the marathon, and be sure to cancel before the trial is over to avoid any charges.
GET FREE TRIAL AT DIRECTV STREAM
When is the Boston Marathon? 2024 Date, Start Times
The 2024 Boston Marathon is happening on Monday, April 15. Here’s the schedule of start times for each group of racers (times in ET):
Men’s wheelchair division: 9:02 a.m.
Women’s wheelchair division: 9:05 a.m.
Men’s elite race: 9:37 a.m.
Women’s elite race: 9:47 a.m.
Para athletics division: 9:50 a.m.
First wave: 10 a.m.
Second wave: 10:25 a.m.
Third wave: 10:50 a.m.
Fourth wave: 11:15 a.m.
