Boston Marathon April 15th, 2013

Tips for the worlds oldest annual marathon

Every year, we show our love and support for our guests that run the Boston Marathon.  We wake up with them at 3am, cook them the perfect runner’s breakfast (think hot oatmeal, bananas, muffins, anything in the “carb” family), and send them on their way with gift bags, high-fives, and while we don’t expect you to wake up at the crack of dawn for these heroes, you may be curious how you can have some fun on Marathon Monday and show your support at the same time! Keep reading to find out more.

We can’t wait to host our beloved runners again this year!
The 4-1-1 On the Boston Marathon
Date: April 15th, 2013 (a.k.a. Partiot’s Day)
Distance: 26.2 Miles
Start: Hopkinton, MA
Finish: Boston, MA (Copley Square)
Start Time: 10:00am Wave 1, 10:20am Wave 2, 10:40am Wave 3

Awards Ceremony: 5:00pm Fairmont Copley Plaza, Grand Ballroom (138 St. James Avenue,

Course Map: Map link  
Official Guide: The 2013 Boston Marathon Spectator Guide.

Be a Marathon Expert!
The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon and has been ‘running’ for 117 years(oh, do we love our puns!).

The race features around 25,000 amateur and professional international competitors, who battle
against a grueling 26.2 mile hilly New England terrain, with very unpredictable weather .

Due to the magnitude of this event, many of the streets and public transportation services are closed or restricted during the race. Make sure to check the official Marathon Guide and the MBTA site for up-to-date information before heading out for the day.  

Show Your Support
At 40Berkeley, we proudly support both runners and spectators, and offer something for everyone to show our support and help you show yours! marathon), but everyone is welcome to our runner’s breakfast! It’s a great chance to meet the Wave 1 + 2 runners and get them motivated to kick some serious butt (rather than getting their butts kicked…).  If you’re like me and go to sleep around the time that these over-achievers are waking up, don’t worry! You can still make our regular free breakfast at 7am. 

Guest-made posters: Don’t just stand on the sidelines and try to scope out that one runner you’re cheering for.  Make them find you (since they don’t have enough to worry about while running 26 miles)! We provide the fun posters and markers, and you provide the creativity.

We’ve seen everything from messages in foreign languages, to ads for knee replacements, to the
always appreciated “you can do it!” signs.  Pop by our lobby after breakfast to create your own
message, and then take it to the streets!

Feeling a bit overwhelmed? Want to make sure you don’t miss the best parts of the race? Read on for your very own customized Marathon Guide!  

The Course
The historic course starts on Main Street in the rural New England town of Hopkinton and follows
Route 135 through Ashland, Framingham, Natick, and Wellesley, to where Route 135 joins Route

It continues along Route 16 through Newton Lower Falls, turning right at the fire station onto
Commonwealth Avenue, which is Route 30 It follows Comm. Ave. through Newton Hills, bearing right at the reservoir onto Chestnut Hill Avenue to Cleveland Circle

The route then turns left onto Beacon Street continuing through Kenmore Square, and under

Massachusetts Avenue
The course turns right onto Hereford Street (NOTE: against normal traffic flow) then left onto Boylston Street, finishing near the John Hancock Tower in Copley Square.

To learn more about the course, and to view a map.

Best Places to Watch Hopkinton (Start to 2 miles): The race begins here but it’s normally too packed to find a good viewing spot. We recommend heading down the route as far as a mile; around Frankland Road and you’ll get a good view of the racers as they speed downhill from the starting line.

Framingham (5 to 8 miles): Another tip is to check out broad Waverly Street near the railroad
station,at  about the 6-mile mark. The crowd thins out from Union Avenue to the Natick line.

Natick (8 to 11.5 miles): The Natick town green is likely to be pretty crammed, but if you get
there early, you can snag a good spot. The 10-mile mark is at Central Street.

Wellesley (11.5 to 16 miles): This town’s business district features the exact midway point of the 26.2-mile race. But before the racers get there, the screaming Wellesley College students
make for a lively, and loud, watching spot. It’s also here that the racers leave Route 135 and
merge onto Route 16. Set up either just before the college crowd or after, closer to Town Hall.

Hunnewell Park is on a hill and provides a nifty overall view. Wide, straight Washington Street in
Wellesley Hills is a great place, too.

Newton (17.5 to 20 miles): Check out both the Dartmouth Street and Chestnut Street intersections, as well as the lawn in front of Newton City Hall.

Chestnut Hill (20 to 21.5 miles): This is the make-or-break section of the race – the infamous

Heartbreak Hill. You’ll encounter another loud college crowd here, that of Boston College, right at the top of the hill but there are wide roads and green space for good viewing spots.

Brighton (21.5 to 22.5 miles): Another exciting spot to watch is Cleveland Circle, where runners
turn left onto Beacon Street. The race has much more of an urban feel here with very noisy and
lively crowds.

Brookline (22.5 to 24.5 miles):  For the best views, walk down Beacon toward Kenmore Square until the crowd thins out a bit.

(24.5 miles): If you want more of a crazy experience, get a spot in Kenmore Square.

This is the last wide-open space for viewing; from here, the racers continue down Commonwealth Avenue, take a right onto tiny Hereford, then a left into the madness of Boylston Street and the finish line.

Other Tips to 26.2 If you can’t get a good viewing spot, or are more of a quiet indoors person, you can always get the action live onWBZ-TV in our Movie Room or on the Universal Sports Television Network. All good sports bars will be showing the action too!.

Similarly, for all you savvy social media fans, here are the official channels:  

Twitter: @bostonmarathon and hashtag is: #BostonMarathon
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/thebostonmarathon
Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/TheBostonMarathon

If you couldn’t tell from reading this post, we are just a tad bit excited for this year’s marathon.  With over 500,000 spectators annually, the energy and excitement across Boston on Marathon Monday is second-to-none, making it New England’s most widely viewed sporting event!

If you’re not as excited about the marathon as we are, watch this video.

We know you’ll have a fantastic time during the marathon and best of luck if you’re competing -we’ll be cheering you on the whole way!

Any to @40Berkeley.
Of your pictures to Bria + Oli