Harvard College Marathon Challenge

SPECTATORS

Show your support for the runners of Harvard College Marathon Challenge on Patriots Day, by watching and cheering for us at any point on the Boston Marathon route! If you make a nice big sign or banner (e.g., GO HARVARD!) and yell really loudly, our runners are more likely to notice you. Please bring a camera, too!

We'll be wearing goldenrod (bright yellow/orange) running jerseys that say "HARVARD" on the front.

To figure out when our runners are most likely to pass a particular mile marker, you'll need to do some math. Assume we'll start from Mile 0 at 10:40am and will run at an average pace that's between 7.5-11 minutes/mile. If you have a very narrow time window to watch us, assume an average pace of 8-10 minutes/mile. As a general rule, first-time Boston Marathoners will tend to run faster during the first few miles, which are mostly downhill (see elevation map), and slower between Miles 17-26.

Keep the following in mind when traveling to/from Harvard Square on Marathon Day (and note that all bus, train, and road closure info listed below may not be accurate, so definitely double-check it!):

The MBTA website's Boston Marathon page is the best place to look for all things related to public transportation on Marathon Day. The subway and Commuter Rail trains usually operate normally (regular weekday schedule) on Marathon Day, except that the Copley Square Green Line station is closed. MBTA buses usually operate on the Saturday schedule. The #1 bus from Harvard Square usually DOES NOT cross the Charles River on Marathon Day. In addition, the #66 and #86 buses from Harvard Square usually DO NOT run on their usual routes due to marathon-related road closures. Again, check the MBTA website's Boston Marathon page for details and definitive information.
The M2 Harvard/Longwood Medical Area shuttle bus will run normally on Marathon Day. This is a great way to get into Boston. It'll take you up Mass. Ave. past MIT and across the Charles River (unlike the MBTA #1 bus). Be sure to get off right across the river, at the intersection of Mass. Ave. and Beacon Street (1 block from Mile 25.7 of the Marathon route).

And here are some travel tips to help spectators get to particular spots on the course:

MILE 0 (Starting Line) — Our runners should cross the Starting Line (Mile 0) in Hopkinton just after 10:40am. Many roads and highway exit ramps in the Hopkinton area are closed or restricted to vehicular traffic on Marathon morning. Spectators who are getting a ride to Hopkinton are strongly discouraged from getting dropped off at the I-495 Exit 21A ramp, which will be closed to cars, and walking 1.9 miles along this route to the Starting Line. If you're being dropped off and want to get as close as possible to the Starting Line, have your driver take I-495 Exit 21B to the Industrial Park on South Street, where the Marathon will have shuttle buses that'll take you to a point 0.5 miles from the Starting Line (intersection of Main St. and Pleasant St. in Hopkinton). If you have a small group of spectators (1-4 people) but don't have a ride to Hopkinton, take the MBTA Commuter Rail train from South Station to the Framingham stop. While you're on the train, call Tommy's Taxi in Framingham at 508-872-3500 to arrange a cab. Due to road closures, it's not clear exactly how close the cab can get to the Starting Line. You should definitely call Tommy's ahead of time to confirm cost, availability, etc. Harvard College Marathon Challenge has no experience or direct relationship with Tommy's Taxi and does not endorse them.
MILE 3.5 — You'll need to walk about a mile if you choose this option. From South Station (Red Line), take the Framingham/Worcester train on the MBTA Commuter Rail to the Ashland station. From there, walk about a mile to get to Mile 3.5 of the Marathon course. To see a map from the Ashland station to Mile 3.5 of the Marathon course (and all the way back to the Starting Line/Mile 0), click here.
MILE 6-14 — If you're feeling adventurous, take the MBTA Commuter Rail, Framingham/Worcester line, from South Station (on the Red Line) out to Framingham (Mile 6), West Natick (Mile 8), Natick (Mile 10), Wellesley Square (Mile 13.2, walking distance to Wellesley College), or Wellesley Hills (Mile 14.3). These stops are all directly on the Marathon route, so you won't need to walk anywhere.
MILE 16.8 — If you're looking for the cheapest way to get as far out on the Marathon course as possible, take the Green Line "D" (Riverside) branch to the Woodland stop (Mile 16.8), which is literally right on the Marathon route. It's about a 50-minute ride from Harvard. There's nothing around here except houses, although it's adjacent to Newton-Wellesley Hospital, so you should be able to find food, water, and restrooms there. You should see most of our runners here between 12:30-1:40pm.
MILE 20-22 — If you enjoy witnessing the depths of human suffering, this is the place for you! This is where we can really use your enthusiastic cheering, banners, etc., especially on the far side of Heartbreak Hill (around Mile 20.7). Most of our runners will pass through the Heartbreak Hill/Boston College/Cleveland Circle area (Mile 20-22.4) between 1-2:30pm. You can take the Green Line "B" (Boston College) train to the Chestnut Hill Avenue, South Street, or Boston College stops to cheer us on. The very best thing you can do is to take the Green Line "B" train to the end of the line (Boston College, Mile 21.4) and support us from somewhere near Heartbreak Hill, which is only about a half-mile walk up Commonwealth Avenue. There's a huge, grassy median in that direction, too — nice place to hang out. Sometimes spectators get so enthusiastic in the latter part of the Marathon course that they even jump in and run for a bit when runners they know pass by, although of course we can't encourage that sort of thing.
MILE 22.4-25 — This is another great and very popular area to spectate, although it might be more crowded than the Mile 20-22 option due to the narrower sidewalks. Most of our runners will pass through the Coolidge Corner area (Mile 24) between 1-3pm. You can take the Green Line "C" (Cleveland Circle) train to any stop between Kenmore Square (Mile 25) and Cleveland Circle (Mile 22.4) to cheer us on. You can also take the Green Line "D" train to the Reservoir stop, which is literally 1 block away from the Cleveland Circle (Mile 22.4) stop on the "C" train (strange but true — welcome to Boston).
MILE 25-26.2 (Finish Line) — One of the VERY best spots to spectate is at the corner of Hereford St. and Boylston St., where the runners make the final turn onto Boylston Street and can finally see the Finish Line. The Finish Line itself is a zoo. Runners almost certainly won't notice you there, and you won't be able to get into the finishers' corral to greet any runners after they cross the Finish Line. Therefore, you may find it more satisfying to take the Green Line "B," "C," or "D" train to Kenmore Square (Mile 25) and watch from there. If you do want to visit the Finish Line, most of our runners will cross it between 1:30-3:30pm. The Back Bay stop on the Orange Line, as well as Green Line stops at Arlington Street, Hynes Convention Center, and Prudential, are the closest open subway stops to the Finish Line. The Copley Square Green Line stop, which is at the Finish Line, is closed on Marathon Day.

If you can't join us in person on Marathon Day, you can still track the progress of individual runners online as they pass various checkpoints along the way. You can do this through the Boston Athletic Association website. The face of that website will change on Marathon Day to allow you to see the status of individual runners.

And please remember that the best way to support your runner from afar on Marathon Day is to visit your runner's personal fundraising page and donate online, even if you've already donated before. You can leave a message on your runner's fundraising page and (s)he'll be credited with the donation. If you track your runner online, you can donate a particular amount when (s)he crosses a certain checkpoint, (e.g., $15 at the 15K mark, etc.), or you can donate one lump sum, no matter how large or small, when (s)he crosses the Finish Line.

Lastly, if you're in town for the weekend before the Marathon (Friday afternoon/Saturday/Sunday), note that the Sports and Fitness Expo (where official runners go to pick up their numbers) has lots of free goodies and is open to the general public. It's at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston, which on the Silver Line and also pretty close to South Station (Red Line).

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING US!