A crew has put the final touches on the bright yellow and blue starting line in Hopkinton for Monday’s 127th running of the Boston Marathon, and the finish line will be painted next.
It’s marathon time across Greater Boston, and race organizer Boston Athletic Association has a whole host of events scheduled throughout the weekend.
Here’s what to expect:
The Boston Marathon Expo opens at the Hynes Convention Center at 11 a.m., when runners can start picking up their bib numbers, exploring a sponsor pavilion, posing for photo-ops and shopping for merchandise. An extensive panel series featuring race officials and professional runners will also be held.
The Boston Marathon Fan Fest opens at Copley Square Park at noon. Fans will get to enjoy live music, entertainment, photo-ops, meet-and-greets with professional runners, and more.
A new addition to pre-race festivities is a marathon-themed video project show featuring highlight videos and memorable moments from past marathons. The show will light up the facade of the Fairmont Copley Plaza Friday through Sunday, each starting at 8 p.m.
Head to the Common for 8 a.m., when nearly 10,000 runners will be competing in the B.A.A. 5K. The professional field features some of the top athletes around the world.
The B.A.A. Invitation Mile follows at 10:30 a.m., with fans encouraged to pack the loop course on Boylston, Newbury, Dartmouth and Exeter streets.
One Boston Day of Remembrance will be held at 2:30 p.m. in the area of the Boylston Street finish line. The public is invited to join city and state officials, leaders from the B.A.A., first responders in remembering the 2013 marathon bombings, with the dedication of a new finish line, the ringing of bells and the unveiling of a One Boston Day marker.
A relay challenge featuring middle schools and youth programs from around Greater Boston will follow at 3 p.m. between Dartmouth and Clarendon streets.
Limited tickets remain for the B.A.A. Gives Back fundraiser, in support of the organization’s year round initiatives, at Fairmont Copley Plaza. The event begins at 7 p.m.
Marathon Monday kicks off at 9:37 a.m., with the professional men taking off from Hopkinton followed by the professional women 10 minutes later. There’s plenty of places to watch the race all along the 26.2-mile route right into the city.
