A runner’s guide to visiting Boston for the Marathon: Where to stay, what to do and tips to conquer 26.2 miles

“Turn left on Boylston” rings through your ears as you approach the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The race has long been eulogised by runners over decades, with its prestige enduring despite destination races around the world growing in popularity since the sport’s boom following the Covid pandemic.

The race’s future will forever be entwined with the tragic Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, but out of tragedy has emerged an even stronger and warmer community that welcomes hundreds of thousands each year around Easter, culminating with its special race on Patriots’ Day. The ‘Boston Strong’ slogan remains powerful 12 years on.

A peculiar race in the sense that it starts 26.2 miles away in the sleepy Massachusetts town of Hopkinton, while also taking place on a Monday, Boston lives and breathes the marathon unlike any other city I’ve witnessed.

London, which has its charm too, is enormous and sprawling on race day, but the crowd disperses rather quickly, whereas Boston retains a unique character for many hours, if not days.

While the city is a great place to visit throughout the year, here are some tips and advice to make your time at the Boston Marathon an unforgettable experience.

Where to stay

There are a few factors to consider when deciding on a place to stay in Boston. In an ideal world, you’ll be a short walk from one of two places. First, Charles Street - between the Public Garden and Boston Common - where those iconic big yellow school buses, that you’ll remember from many movies, take you to Hopkinton and the start line on marathon day.

But you can venture a little further out and take the T (MBTA) in the morning: Red Line (Park Street station) and Green Line (Charles Street Station).

Secondly, within a walk from Boylston Street and Berkeley Street, which is where the gear check area is for runners to drop their clear bags off before heading for the buses.

With everything going on in the city around Easter, citizenM Boston North Station is a great option (there is another citizenM at Back Bay). It’s right above TD Garden, so you can’t help but feel the buzz of the city on top of the Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins’ home. The views are stunning, the food is excellent and the rooftop bar is a great spot for drinks. Look out for the basketball-themed artwork and gallery throughout the hotel too. It’s a great option if you want to sneak in a Celtics game during marathon weekend, with playoff basketball just beginning.

Another good and affordable option is Staypineapple in South End Boston, which will leave you with a straight, eight-minute walk to the gear check area. Handy if travelling alone, the bar and restaurant downstairs are packed with fellow runners over marathon weekend. The staff are welcoming and lean into the atmosphere, offering guests a ‘marathon care package’ filled with snacks and treats to stash for during and after the race. The hotel is also pet-friendly.

What else to do

Once checked in and unpacked, the perfect way to better understand the city comes from a short run to Boston Common to soak in the positive energy ahead of Patriots’ Day. There you’ll also find the Freedom Trail. So grab a coffee and take the 2.5-mile brick path walk to shake off any jet lag and explore Boston's historic neighborhoods to better understand the American Revolution.

As previously mentioned, Boston is obsessed with sports, and while the NFL is in the offseason, so you won’t be able to catch a Patriots game, you can catch a basketball or ice hockey game, depending on the teams’ success that season as both leagues enter the postseason. But a sure-fire bet is baseball with the season just beginning. Hopes and dreams are still alive for the Red Sox, one of the most storied franchises in American sports. So head down to Fenway Park, one of the most iconic stadiums in the world, for a great, family-friendly day or night out before the race. A favourite even for those tourists not passionate about sports.

Boston offers some great options for free, too, notably the Boston Public Library. Its beautiful, traditional architecture is married with a modern wing including a cafe and stage for talks and local radio shows. Get lost inside American’s first large free municipal library and exit near some of Boston’s best shops on Newbury Street. The perfect spot on Saturday or Sunday before the marathon with the expo, at Hynes Convention Center, also nearby.

Harvard is an essential day trip too, with its stunning campus in the idyllic Cambridge. Easily accessible via the T, it makes for a nice change of pace from the city to soak in student life in Harvard Yard and beyond.

Where to eat

Again, runners will want to plan their meals both before and after raceday. So, with carbs the priority beforehand, a good Italian is likely to appeal. Faccia a Faccia offers shareable plates of pasta, the cacio e pepe is especially good, while the Grandma Bread is worth adding to leave you energised on raceday. Hokkaido Ramen Santouka is a gem of a place, a tiny spot for some of the best ramen you will find at affordable prices, the queues are enormous by early afternoon, so go early to avoid disappointment.

If runners are looking for somewhere to celebrate on Monday evening, then Lolita Back Bay offers tacos and tequila with its Gothic decor and moody atmosphere bringing a unique experience. Watch out for the enormous candyfloss that arrives with the bill too.

And if BBQ is your thing, The Smoke Shop BBQ - Seaport is exactly what you’re looking for with its award-winning food and enormous selection of whisky perfect to indulge in the hours and days after racing.

Finally, a good tip is to book somewhere for brunch the day after the marathon, fail to do so and you could be left hungry with most reputable spots fully booked with more than an hour to wait. Friendly Toast is simple and offers the quintessential American brunch.

What about the race?

Beyond time on feet and getting in the miles, hill training is synonymous with this testing course. So the key to running well and, crucially, enjoying yourself is how you navigate the Newton Hills, specifically the notorious Heartbreak Hill. Get plenty of elevation in beforehand, but then also hold a little back in the first five miles, which are downhill and present a feeling of delusion in most runners as you fly downhill at a pace closer to your half marathon best. Try to opt for ‘feel’ rather than what you want to see on your watch and you’ll stand a great chance of avoiding those dreaded cramps in the closing stages.

In terms of getting into the race, places are more competitive than ever, with time standards being slashed each year. You can find the entry times here. The deadline for next year’s race is set for early September 2025. Look to run a minute (or more!) under your qualifying time to avoid disappointment as the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) whittles down the numbers for next year.

And remember to book up hotels and flights well in advance, perhaps as soon as your place is confirmed (this year’s race was confirmed in the last week of September 2024), or target a refundable hotel to avoid being priced out of the best locations.