How to watch the Boston Marathon live on TV or the internet

Local coverage will be available on WCVB beginning at 4 a.m. and running through 8 p.m.

Runners head down the stretch to the finish line in the 121st Boston Marathon in Boston. AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File

updated on April 17, 2023

On April 17, hundreds of thousands of spectators will line the Boston Marathon route from Hopkinton to the Back Bay to watch tens of thousands of runners give it their all. If you don’t want to deal with traffic and crowds but still want to stay up-to-date on the race, you’re in luck. There are plenty of ways to keep tabs on the 2023 Boston Marathon from the comfort of your home.

Here’s what you need to know to watch the marathon live:

First of all, here’s when the race starts…

The first start time is 9:02 a.m., for mobility-impaired runners. You can view a full list of start times here.

If you want to watch the race on TV…

The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) announced in June that ESPN and WCVB Channel 5 would serve as exclusive national and local broadcast partners for the Boston Marathon beginning in 2023. Previously, WBZ covered the race.

Local coverage will be available on WCVB beginning at 4 a.m. and running through 8 p.m. WCVB’s sister stations in Manchester, N.H. (WMUR), Portland-Auburn, Maine (WMTW), and Burlington, Vermont (WPTZ) will also simulcast the broadcast.

WCVB’s EyeOpener team, anchors Antoinette Antonio, Doug Meehan, along with chief meteorologist Cindy Fitzgibbon and traffic specialist Katie Thompson will provide pre-race coverage live from Hopkinton from 4 to 8:30 a.m. and NewsCenter 5 weekend EyeOpener anchors Rhondella Richardson and Jennifer Eagan from Copley Square.

WCVB anchors Ed Harding and Maria Stephanos will host the race from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and SportsCenter 5 reporters Josh Brogadir and Naoko Funayama will provide exclusive coverage from the course.

SportsCenter 5 anchor Duke Castiglione will join ESPN SportsCenter anchor Sage Steele and race analyst Amanda McGrory, paralympic medalist and Boston Marathon wheelchair division podium finisher, at the finish line with exclusive interviews with racers as they cross the line.

Starting at 1 p.m., WCVB anchors Erika Tarantal and Ben Simmoneau and a team of reporters will begin post-race coverage, including re-caps and runner interviews. NewsCenter 5 will provide race highlights hourly between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. with anchor Jessica Brown and a special marathon-themed “Chronicle” will air at 7:30 p.m.

ESPN will broadcast the marathon nationally on its flagship channel from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. ESPN’s SportsCenter anchor John Anderson will call the race between 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. and will be joined by analysts Carrie Tollefson, former professional American middle-distance runner and 2004 Olympian; and Meb Keflezighi, former professional American long-distance runner, four-time Olympian, 2014 Boston Marathon champion, and 2004 Olympic Marathon silver medalist for Team USA.

For more information go to espn.com.

If you want to live stream the race…

WCVB will live stream the race and its sister stations WMUR, WMTV, and WPTZ will stream the race on their digital platforms.

The Boston Marathon will also be live-streamed on Very Local Boston, which can be installed for free on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, or through the app store on mobile devices.