How to watch the Boston Marathon 2024 on a live stream including free options

Get ready to lace up and cheer on the speedsters at this year's Boston Marathon! Here's how to watch the 128th Boston Marathon live, including free options.

Pro runners, including the swift Evans Chebet aiming for a three-peat, are gearing up for an epic showdown. Sisay Lemma, fresh from a blazing win in Valencia, joins the fray alongside a global squad of marathon maestros.

Marcel Hug, the wheelchair racing champ, is back to defend his title after smashing records last year. The Para Athletics Division promises its own thrills, showcasing talent from around the world.

The women's field, touted as the strongest ever, is also set to light up the course from Hopkinton to Boston.

Defending champs Hellen Obiri and Susannah Scaroni lead the charge, joined by a formidable lineup of speedsters from around the globe, from Olympians to World Marathon Majors winners. Ethiopians Degefa, Teshome, and Gebremaryam bring their A-game, while American ace Desiree Linden aims for glory once more.

As the world tunes in, Boston braces for a day of speed, spirit, and unforgettable moments on Patriots' Day!

We're sure you'll be inspired to take up running after watching the Boston Marathon 2024, so make sure you check out T3's best running shoes and best women's running shoe roundups. We also have a guide for the best running headphones and the best running watches – essential running gear for training and racing.

Anyway, back to how to watch the 128th Boston Marathon. There are various free options, and if you can't access them the usual way, you can use a VPN to bypass geo-restrictions.

How to watch the Boston Marathon 2024

What time does the Boston Marathon 2024 start?

The Boston Marathon 2024 takes place on Monday, 15 April 2024. The starting times are as follows:

The Boston Marathon is the oldest of the six marathon majors and has strict entry criteria, meaning only the fastest marathon runners will be able to even apply for the race.

The 2024 Boston Marathon qualifying window was open from September 1, 2022, through the conclusion of the registration period, 5:00 PM ET on September 15, 2023.

Currently, this limit is three hours for men and three and a half hours for women between the ages of 18 and 34.

More info on start times can be found here(links to the Boston Marathon website).

How to watch the Boston Marathon 2024

Local coverage in Boston

Catch all the action of the Boston Marathon with live coverage on WCVB Channel 5, airing from 4:00 a.m. ET to 8:00 p.m. ET.

This exclusive broadcast will also be simulcast regionally on sister stations WMUR, WMTW, and WPTZ.

Additionally, viewers can stream the marathon on WCVB's digital platforms and mobile apps, as well as on Very Local Boston. 

National coverage in the US

ESPN2 brings you live coverage of the 128th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 15, 2024, airing from 8:30 a.m. ET to 12:30 p.m. ET. Tune in to ESPN's flagship channel for all the action.

Moreover, catch race highlights and updates on SportsCenter both before and after the live coverage, along with additional coverage featured on various ESPN shows and platforms throughout the day.

International coverage

Eurosport will be covering the Boston Marathon in a lot of countries outside the US, including Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan and Vatican State.

Rest of the World:

If you live anywhere else in the world or are out of the US on holiday or business, you can still get access to the live stream - simply use the best VPN around to get past those geo-restrictions.

A streaming VPN is a very handy thing, as it means you can hop on a server within the US, UK or anywhere else, and it will switch your IP address to make it appear as if you're browsing right from the comfort of your own home.

• VPN - standing for virtual private network - offers security and anonymity as you browse online, using set protocols to encrypt your data and make it unreadable to outsiders.
• As a part of that, you can also switch your IP address, which identifies your location.
• Most VPNs offer a list of locations where their servers are based to join. Connecting to them switches your IP to appear as if you're browsing from that country/city. In turn, you can then access content locked to that country.
• When it comes to finding a VPN, you should make sure you find the best one that's suitable for your chosen device, with VPN providers offering compatibility for a ton of devices, including VPN for Mac and even a range of fairly nifty free VPNs.
• Once you've made the decision for the most suitable VPN for your device and your means for using a VPN, sign-up and install it. 
• To live stream the Boston Marathon 2024, all you need to do is select a UK server from its list of available servers and connect. You'll then be able to hop over those geo-restrictions, with the likes of BBC iPlayer opening its online gates to you.
• We also want to ensure your money is well spent, so we would recommend going for a VPN that offers a risk-free trial. ExpressVPN is one of many providers that has a 30-day money-back guarantee.

• New to VPN? Find out how to use a VPN to unblock geo-restrictions