What to know about the 128th Boston Marathon

The daffodils are blooming. The finish line is getting a fresh coat of paint. And the city is abuzz with an electricity that only happens in the run up to Patriots' Day. The 128th Boston Marathon is almost here.

This year marks 100 years since the historic race was lengthened to its full 26.2-mile stretch and its starting line moved from Ashland to Hopkinton. The race will be great for spectators along the route but a little uncomfortable for runners, with temperatures predicted to be in the high 60s. Ahead of the full-race centennial on April 15, here's what to know.

About 30,000 participants will compete in the marathon. While these numbers can fluctuate a bit before the race, here's a participant breakdown, according to the Boston Athletic Association, the race's organizer.

Professional Open Division Women: 61

Professional Open Division Men: 56

Professional Wheelchair Division Women: 18

Professional Wheelchair Division Men: 28

Professional Para Athletes Overall: 41

Handcycle Racers Overall: 45

Men: 16,893

Women: 12,675

Non-binary: 54

Total: 29,622

Duo Teams: 21

Evans Chebet, of Kenya, won in 2022 and 2023 and is looking for a third-straight win. Tanzania's Gabriel Geay came in second behind Chebet in 2023 and hopes to take home the win in Boston. But anything can happen in the race, and 20 men in the field have personal bests below 2:10:00.

"There's always somebody who comes out of the woodwork, who runs really well here or performs really well here that wasn't really on the radar before the Boston Marathon," said Alex Ashlock, a reporter who has covered the race for WBUR for 25 years.

That was somewhat the case for last year's winner, Hellen Obiri of Kenya. Boston was only her second-ever marathon, though she had an impressive career before as the only woman to have won worlds titles in indoor and outdoor track and cross country.

Obiri is back this year facing multiple past champions, including American Des Linden, who won in 2018; 2019 winner Worknesh Degefa, of Ethiopia; and two-time winner (2017 and 2021) Edna Kiplagat, of Kenya. Plus, Obiri will have to contend with a host of top-tier athletes making Boston debuts and other veterans looking to finally take first.

Susannah Scaroni, last year’s women’s wheelchair winner was set to return to the course this year but had to pull out a week before the race due to a shoulder injury. Her absence still leaves an impressive field, including four-time Boston winner and course record holder Manuela Schär, of Switzerland, and five-time winner Wakako Tsuchida, of Japan. And don't forget Paralympic gold medalist Madison de Rozario, of Australia.

Switzerland's Marcel Hug set a course record in the men's wheelchair race last year with a time of 1:17:06. The 2023 race marked his 6th win in Boston. Hug will face a talented field, including American Daniel Romanchuk, who won in 2019 and 2022.

Chaz Davis, originally from Massachusetts, is competing for the second time in Boston in the Para Athletics T12 (Vision Impairment) division. He'll go up against Moroccan El Amin Chentouf, who finished 50th overall in last year's race.

Last year's winner in the women's para T64 (Lower-limb impairment) division, Liz Willis, is returning to the course after setting a world record in the B.A.A.'s Half Marathon in November, with a time of 1:45:19. She's competing against three other athletes in her T64 division.

Meb Keflezighi will take to the course again, a decade after he won the race as an elite runner and became the first American man to win Boston since 1983. Keflezighi's emotional win came the year after the marathon bombings. He crossed the finish line wearing a bib with the names of the victims written upon it.

Keflezighi is running for his charity this year, the MEB Foundation, under the bib number 2014.

Amby Burfoot, another former winner of the marathon, will run again this year. His bib number is 1968, the year he won the race.

Former Bruins great and Stanley Cup winner Zdeno Chára is also back on the course, running for Team Hoyt for a second year under the bib number 3333 in homage to his former jersey number, 33. Chára ran Boston in 3:38:23 last year, and it was hard to miss his nearly seven-foot frame towering over fellow runners.

Former Patriots tight end and four-time Super Bowl champ Rob Gronkowski will appear on the course as this year's Grand Marshal. Gronkowski will ride the route ahead of the racers, bring the trophy to the finish line and keep the good vibes going.

The marathon will usher in a couple significant changes this year regarding wheelchair race prize money, as well as the race's main sponsor.

The winners of the wheelchair race will receive $40,000 for a first place finish, up from $25,000. (Comparatively, elite men's and women's division athletes get $150,000 for coming in first.) There also is a $50,000 bonus for setting a course record in the wheelchair divisions. That bonus prize is the same as the record-setter awards given out in the men's and women's divisions.

This year, Bank of America will sponsor the Boston Marathon, taking over for financial institution John Hancock after 38 years.

Ordinarily, the sponsorship change would be most visible on race signage and memorabilia. However, Bank of America decided to be the first corporation to place its logo on race medals, too. The move caused a stir among some marathon community members, as reported by The New York Times, with one runner quipping "This isn’t a turkey trot." 

With 26.2 miles of course to choose from, there's not a bad spot to watch the race. Where you want to be depends on the watching experience you want.

If you're a fan of the crowds, the area near the starting and finish lines are always packed. But because of how busy the start in Hopkinton is, it may be hard to pick out a loved one in the mass of runners. That said, sections early in the race route often thin out the runner packs and feature smaller spectator crowds.

Wellesley always brings the noise, thanks to the famous scream tunnel created by Wellesley College students. It also marks the race's halfway point.

Along the Newton Hills, throngs of spectators usually line the course, offering often much-needed support to racers traversing long expanses of incline. Fan cheers can be particularly moving at the top of Heartbreak Hill, the last and steepest of the Newton Hills which runners encounter 20 miles deep into the race.

As you get into Brookline and deeper into Boston, the crowds pack in for the final legs of the race. As a reminder, spectators are not allowed on the course itself.

If you're more interested in watching from the comfort of your couch, WCVB will begin its coverage at 4 a.m., and ESPN will carry the race starting at 8:30 a.m.

There's a whole host of road closures, parking restrictions and increased pedestrian traffic on Marathon Monday, so driving to the route is generally discouraged. The MBTA has mapped out spots on the marathon route accessible by transit via T's Green Line and Worcester Line of the commuter rail. The maps can be found here.

There are some key station closures to note: Copley Station is closed for the entire day, and South Street, Kent Street and Saint Mary’s Street stations are closed from approximately 10 a.m to 6 p.m. The MBTA may also adjust or temporarily close stations near the finish line throughout the day.

The Copley Square bus stop on St. James Ave will be out of service from April 8 through April 16, and Routes 9, 10, 39, 43, 51, 55, 57, 62, 65 and 76 will be detoured, shortened or suspended on race day.

The commuter rail is offering a $10 marathon day pass that allows riders to hop on and off all day, which could be useful if you're hoping to catch a runner at multiple spots along the course.

If you have a loved one running or are looking out for your favorite pro, you can find them on the 2024 B.A.A. Racing App, available on iPhone and Android. The app allows you to live track racers along the route, plus shows updated leaderboards and an interactive map.

If you're just interested in the entrants ahead of time, you can search for racers by their name or bib number here. The results will tell you when they are starting the race and can be helpful ahead of Marathon Monday.

There are a couple pre- and post-marathon celebrations put on by the B.A.A.

On the Friday, Saturday and Sunday before the race, the Boston Marathon Fan Fest will take place at City Hall Plaza. There will be free live music and entertainment, pre-marathon exercises and a beer tasting from Sam Adams.

And if you can't get enough excitement ahead of the race, there are also meet-and-greets with pro athletes and former winners at the marathon finish line in the days leading up to the race.

When the race is said and done, there's a Mile 27 Post-Race Party in City Hall Plaza for marathoners and their proud loved ones. The party is hosted by previous champion Des Linden and 2009 third-place winner and fellow American Kara Goucher. This event charges an admission fee of $5 for racers and $15 for family and friends. Athletes were sent an email back in February with a discount code.

Editors note: This post has been updated to reflect that Susannah Scaroni has pulled out of the race.