Preparations announced ahead of 2024 Boston Marathon

Mayor Michelle Wu, City officials, and regional partners today announced public safety preparations for the 128th Boston Marathon at a joint press conference with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.). The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon, traditionally held on Patriots’ Day. This year’s race on April 15, 2024 will occur on the same day as One Boston Day, which honors the victims, survivors, and first responders of the 2013 Boston Marathon. More on One Boston Day volunteer events being held around the City are available at boston.gov/one-boston. 

As part of the 2024 Boston Marathon celebrations, the City and the B.A.A. will again recognize the Fastest Bostonian, an award given to the Boston man, woman and non-binary participants with the quickest finish times in the 2024 Boston Marathon. The Fastest Bostonian award was introduced last year as the first award specifically for Boston residents at the Boston Marathon. 

New this year, City Hall Plaza will host the Boston Marathon Fan Fest. This event series is traditionally held in Copley Square, which is currently undergoing renovations. City Hall Plaza was redesigned and reopened in late 2022 as a more accessible, family-friendly gathering space for public events. Fan Fest events run from Friday, April 12 - Sunday, April 14, and include live entertainment, exercise classes, and a relay challenge. Details can be found on the B.A.A.’s website. 

 “The Boston Marathon is a beloved tradition that brings such an exciting energy to Boston. Our emergency responders are working around the clock to ensure a safe, fun race weekend for runners and spectators alike,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “From honoring our Fastest Bostonians to hosting Fan Fest for the first time on City Hall Plaza, we’re looking forward to a great weekend that highlights the best of Boston and its people.”

Today, Mayor Wu was joined by Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox, Chief of Emergency Medical Services James Hooley, Boston Fire Commissioner Paul Burke, Chief of Emergency Management Shumeane Benford, public safety officials from the Commonwealth and from neighboring communities to address marathon preparations. Federal, state, and local partners are working together to ensure a safe and enjoyable 2024 Boston Marathon for all athletes and spectators. 

“Marathon Monday is a busy day in our City. In addition to the Marathon we have a Red Sox game at Fenway. We are grateful for our state, local and federal partners, as we all work together to make this day safe and family friendly. We have a thoughtful, comprehensive safety plan in place.  We are excited and ready to assist this year’s Boston Marathon, as well as support and serve all neighborhoods throughout the City of Boston.  As always, we ask the public for your cooperation. You are truly our most important partner. Please work with us to ensure a family friendly safe event,” said Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox.

“The Boston Fire Department will work in conjunction with our partners in law enforcement and emergency medical services to make the 128^th Boston Marathon a safe enjoyable experience for runners and spectators alike,” said Paul Burke, Boston Fire Commissioner.

“On race day, 48 local, state, and federal public safety organizations will be positioned inside the Unified Coordinator Center at MEMA headquarters to coordinate multi-jurisdictional decision-making and information sharing,” said Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Director Dawn Brantley. “Months of planning and coordination culminate on Marathon Monday and, as always, the greatest reward is watching the joy it brings to participants and spectators alike. I thank the Healey-Driscoll Administration, the City of Boston, the B.A.A., our partners, and the many volunteers whose unwavering support and partnership make this a special day for Massachusetts.” 

Police Department

• Boston Police Department (BPD) will have uniformed and undercover officers along the marathon route.
• Cameras will be active along the Boston portion of the Marathon route, and observation points will be set up around the finish line area in Back Bay to monitor the crowd.
• Spectators are encouraged to leave large items such as backpacks and strollers at home. These items are not banned; however, individuals may be subject to search.
• Call 9-1-1 in an emergency situation and follow @bostonpolice for race safety updates.

Fire Department

• Boston Fire will have walking patrols along the course to respond to fires, alarms, render medical aid, and to call in additional assets if needed.
• Boston Fire will position units on both sides of the course during the race to provide a full first-alarm assignment on each side of the course without disrupting the race.
• Hazardous materials & decontamination assets will be staged along the racecourse and will conduct active environmental monitoring for the presence of hazardous products.
• Technical rescue units will be staged at strategic locations along the course to assist police mitigate any course disruption and to stand ready to respond to any emergency.
• Boston Fire will activate two drones to enhance situational awareness in any fire or emergency that may occur in the area of the race route.

Emergency Medical Services

• Boston EMS will have enhanced medical coverage, including additional personnel in the field, dispatch and special operations. 
• Units will be deployed along the Boston portion of the route and in the finish line area, ready to serve anyone requiring medical assistance, including runners, spectators, and volunteers. This will include EMTs and Paramedics working on ambulances, bikes and carts, as well as in medical stations. 
• Through close coordination with medical volunteers, Boston EMS works to treat and release as many people on scene as possible, which is intended to mitigate the impact to the hospital system. 
• Boston EMS plans to increase the number of ambulances citywide to ensure there will be no disruption in services to residents.

Street Closures & Traffic Advisories

Please see the traffic advisory from the Boston Transportation Department.

• Vehicle traffic will be prohibited and parking will be restricted on many streets in Boston in the days leading up to the Boston Marathon and on Monday, April 15, 2024.
• Using the MBTA to travel to and from Boston on Marathon Monday is strongly recommended. Detailed information on MBTA service can be found at www.MBTA.com.  For a faster return trip, the MBTA advises riders to purchase a round-trip rather than a one-way ticket.
• On Marathon Monday, Newbury Street and Huntington Avenue outbound will be closed to vehicle traffic to allow easier spectator movement in the area.
• Visitors are encouraged to take advantage of the City’s Bluebikes program.
• Read all posted signs and variable message boards carefully.

Emergency Communications

• The City’s Emergency Operations Center will be open on Monday to monitor the races. The EOC will be staffed by City departments, state agencies and non-profit partners to coordinate the City’s operational plan. Additionally, the EOC will monitor the weather, maintain situational awareness regarding the various Marathon events, respond to any resource requests from public safety, and manage family reunification if needed.
• Boston EMS, Police, Fire, and the Office of Emergency Management will have personnel assigned to the multi-agency coordination center at the Massachusetts Emergency Operation Center in Framingham.
• BPHC will open the Medical Intelligence Center to make sure hospitals have proper resources and coordinate care for anyone who needs to go to the hospital.

Sign up for AlertBoston to receive emergency notifications from the City at boston.gov/emergency. Alerts are available in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, Cape Verdean Creole, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Russian, Soomaali, Spanish, and Vietnamese.