Boston Marathon
Marathon Monday might be the city’s most exciting day, with thousands of runners and an annual Patriots Day Red Sox game.
Camilo Cubillos of Colombia reacts during the 130th Boston Marathon on April 20, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. Paul Rutherford/Getty Images
More than 32,000 people gathered in Hopkinton Monday morning to run the 130th Boston Marathon, one of the most competitive marathons in the country.
Marathon Monday might be the city’s most exciting day, especially for Boston sports. The Red Sox won their annual morning Patriots Day game, which they’ve played at Fenway Park since the 1960s.
Thousands of runners traverse Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, and Boston, with the cheering getting louder closer to Copley Square.
From course record-breakers and stand-out American runners to golden retrievers and costumed finishers, here are some of the must-see moments of Boston’s iconic marathon extravaganza.
Kids run the bases at Fenway Park after Patriots Day win
Hundreds of kids ran the bases on the field at Fenway Park after the Red Sox 8-6 win over the Detroit Tigers, a Boston 25 sports reporter shared from the game.
A helping hand
Some runners, faltering on Boylston Street, can get a hand from their fellow athletes.
Once the runners cross the finish line, the medical staff step in.
A runner is helped as he collapses after crossing the finish line of the Boston Marathon in Boston, Massachusetts on Monday, April 20, 2026. (Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff)
Another runner falls on Boylston Street twice before two other runners help him stand. Together, the three continue towards the finish line.
The Boston Marathon was full of acts of kindness.
The Clintons greet daughter at finish line
Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, finished her first Boston Marathon in a time of 3:40:52.
Her famous parents greeted her with hugs.
Boston Bruins legend beats his previous time
Boston Bruins legend Zdeno Chara ran a 3:18:00 marathon, a 12-minute improvement on his time from 2024.
Chara ran to support the Thomas E. Smith Foundation, which works to help those living with spinal cord injury and paralysis after its founder, Smith, suffered three separate spinal cord injuries. Chara, who is involved in the foundation, spoke at the finish line about the foundation.
“It means everything. I want to be helpful if I can,” Chara said at the finish line. “I’m very grateful to have that platform to be able to help and raise money and support others who can do this.”
Former astronaut from Needham crosses finish line
Sunita Williams, a retired NASA astronaut previously stuck on the International Space Station, completed the Boston Marathon, ending with a time just under six hours, according to results.
Williams returned to Earth last year after spending more than nine months aboard the ISS due to a flawed Boeing test flight. The astronaut, who grew up in Needham, was supposed to spend just a week in space.
Joining longtime race director Dave McGillivray, Williams ran as part of the Finish Strong Foundation charity team.
‘Run like a girl’: Woman runs Boston Marathon 5 months pregnant
A Utah woman nearly six months pregnant ran the Boston Marathon with her sister, WCVB reported from the finish line.
“We had to show her,” her sister said, that “When we say ‘run like a girl,’ this is what we mean.”
Molly Farrar is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on education, politics, crime, and more.
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