Boston Marathon 2016: Route information, course map, road closures and more

The city of Boston is ready for a festive day as thousands of runners and even more fans flock to the area for the 120th running of Boston Marathon. The world’s oldest annual marathon runs along its usual 26.2-mile course this year, starting in Hopkinton and running through eight different towns and cities. NBC will be broadcasting the action, which you can stream here.

Beginning on Route 135, the race continues along on Route 16, then proceeds onto Commonwealth before hitting the streets of Boston. In the city, the course turns onto Beacon Street toward Kenmore Square, then follows onto Commonwealth Avenue. The course then turns right onto Hereford Street and left onto Boylston Street, where countless spectators will be cheering as athletes cross the finish line near the John Hancock Tower in Copley Square.

Here’s a view of the course map, via BAA.com:

More than 30,000 runners from all over the world are expected to run in the race, which starts early in the morning and continues throughout the day. Many streets will be closed throughout the day as a result and traffic will likely be impacted even as roads re-open. Here are the scheduled approximate road closures for the different areas:

With so many spectators likely to fill the streets, people are being encouraged to use public transportation, which is being beefed up to help accommodate the crowds. For those of us unable to attend, the live stream will have to do.