What you need to know about this year's Boston Marathon

Two hundred and fifty years ago, the first shots were fired in the American Revolution. And even with a major anniversary this Patriots' Day, the state holiday usually gets outshined by the Boston Marathon.

The marathon itself is over 120 years old. When the race first started in 1897, there were just 18 runners. But this coming Monday, 30,000 athletes will flock to Hopkinton for the 129th running of the historic race. Of those, more than 3,000 are raising money for charity.

Here's a quick look, by the numbers, of the field this year, according to the Boston Athletic Association:

Here's what else you need to know if you're hoping to watch on Marathon Monday:

The two most obvious spots to watch are the starting line in Hopkinton and the finish line on Boylston Street in Boston.

While iconic, be warned those areas will be crowded. If you're going for a quieter place to cheer on your favorite runner, there are 26.2 miles of Boston suburbs in between.

The first half of the route is typically more sparsely lined, and could be a good spot to set up if you're trying to pick out a participating friend or family member.

Just after Mile 13 in Wellesley, you'll find students from the women's college gather in throngs to cheer on runners at the so-called Scream Tunnel. Pre-pandemic, they were also known to give runners a kiss to keep them going.

In Newton near Boston College's campus, spectators gather at Heartbreak Hill, offering much-needed encouragement as runners push through the last of four hills that show up late on the course.

Coolidge Corner in Brookline and along Commonwealth Avenue in Boston's Kenmore Square are popular spots if you're looking for a jam-packed, energetic crowd.

If you do head to the finish line, this year will be a little different. In honor of the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution, the B.A.A. will hold a ceremony at 9:30 a.m. before racers start to reach the area soon after, around 10:20 a.m.

Here are a few other audience favorite view points to note.

If you're more interested in watching the race from your couch, tune into WCVB, Channel 5, which begins its coverage at 4 a.m. ESPN 2 and ESPN Deportes will also carry the race starting at 9 a.m. (Stream all day on the WCVB website or app, or ESPN+.)

WBUR will also cover major stories from the race, so check in on wbur.org and our social media accounts.

Be mindful when getting ready for the day; there are a lot of prohibited items for the area near the marathon route, and your bag is subject to be searched.

The highlights: Don't bring any rolling suitcases or big bags, including coolers, or any backpacks or over-the-shoulder bags. Leave the confetti and bubbles at home. And save a costume for the after party. Drones are also not allowed over the marathon route. (The B.A.A. has a full list of prohibited items here.)

Things we probably shouldn't have to say: Spectators are not allowed to bring weapons, or any flammable items or fireworks.

Temperatures will start in the low to mid 40s with partly cloudy skies as racers line up in Hopkinton, according to meteorologist Danielle Noyes. It’ll warm slowly throughout the morning, topping out in the high 50s by mid afternoon. Clouds are expected to roll in, but rain should hold off throughout the day. Bottom line: it’s ideal weather for runners and great for spectators as well.

As you plan how to get around on Monday, the main thing to remember is it'll be difficult or impossible to cross over the marathon route. Adding to the chaos, there's going to be even more road closures in Boston with the Patriots' Day Parade downtown. As the race progresses, each town re-opens the route, so you can plan accordingly around those estimated times here.

City officials recommend using public transit, walking or biking as much as possible.

The MBTA's Copley Station will be closed for the entire day; South Street, Kent Street and Saint Mary's Street stations on the Green Line will be closed from around 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to accommodate the race. The subway and commuter rail are running a weekday schedule, with extra trains slated at the beginning and end of the race. No bikes will be allowed on trains. Buses are operating on a Saturday schedule.

Check out this map to plan what Green Line or Worcester commuter rail stop you'll want to hop off at along the course route. (Good news: The commuter rail's $10 holiday weekend passes are in effect for the day.)

Got more public transit questions? Refer to this post for a full breakdown of MBTA changes for Marathon Monday.

If you want to track a loved one or a star competing, download the B.A.A. Racing App. You'll be able to track all racers, view interactive course maps and see other race information.

Here are the start times in Hopkinton:

This year's race was notably hard to qualify for. A record number of runners made the cut for the race, so the Boston Athletic Association had to deny a record 12,324 athletes. The 2025 Boston Marathon applicants had a cut-off time of 6:51, meaning they needed to run that much faster than their age/gender group’s qualifying standards to get in.

Last year's victors, Hellen Obiri, of Kenya, and Sisay Lemma, of Ethiopia, are back to defend their titles. If Obiri wins this year, she will be the first woman to get three titles in a row since Fatuma Roba did in 1999. Lemma is facing the 2023 and 2022 winner, Evans Chebet, also of Ethiopia, and John Korir, of Kenya, who won the Chicago Marathon last year.

Seven-time winner Marcel Hug is back in the men's wheelchair division. The Swiss athlete's best time was last year at the Boston Marathon (1:15:33). The U.S.'s Daniel Romanchuk, who won in 2019 and 2022, is racing again, too. He finished last year at 1:20:37.

The U.S.'s Susannah Scaroni has the best time heading into this year's Boston Marathon, with a personal best of 1:27:31. She won in 2023, but had to skip last year due to a shoulder injury. Newcomer Eden Rainbow-Cooper, of Great Britain, won in 2024 with a time of 1:35:11.

Some other notable names include Des Linden, who was the first American woman to win the race in 33 years when she crossed the finish line in 2018. (She announced on April 21 this year's Boston Marathon would be her last.) Amby Burfoot, who won the Boston Marathon in 1957, has continued to run the race regularly. He'll be running on Monday — this time at 78 years old.

This year's race also marks 50 years of wheelchair racing in the Boston Marathon. Wheelchair athlete pioneer Bob Hall is one of this year's Grand Marshals. In 1975, he completed the course in 2:58, and was the first official wheelchair finisher in the race. Four-time Boston Marathon winner Bill Rodgers will accompany Hall as the other Grand Marshal. It's been 50 years since Rodgers won his first Boston Marathon.

The Boston Marathon is also known to draw some familiar faces outside of the running world. Keep an eye on the course for Matt James, who was featured in "The Bachelor," season 25. In recent years, former Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara, former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick and “Supernatural” actor Jared Padalecki have all tackled the infamous course.

The B.A.A. unveiled a new design for medals for the race finishers earlier this year. The medal used the past few years set the marathon's unicorn symbol inside a half circle with the race sponsor, Bank of America, named at the bottom.

The new medal centers the unicorn inside a full circle with a more subtle nod to the sponsor's logo.