It’s Marathon Monday, Boston.
🎸 Wanna go to Boston Calling for free? We found not one, but TWO ticket giveaways for two Friday VIP tickets and two GA tickets on a day of your choice. You’re welcome <3
👀 What’s on tap today:
- Canal Street’s playoffs glow-up
- Boston’s new poet laureate
- The hottest running lewks
Up first…
Image: Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe. Illustration: Gia Orsino
It’s time, Boston! Today, 30,000 runners will take the trek from Hopkinton to Boston for the 129th Boston Marathon.
So from the athletes to the MBTA, here’s everything you need to know:
🏆 The name of the game: Run it BACK. In the elite field, all eyes will be on last year’s returning winners: Hellen Obiri, who won the women’s open division last year in 2:22:37 (that’s 5 mins and 26 seconds per mile) will be gunning for a three-peat, while Sisay Lemma will be trying to repeat his literal runaway victory last year in the men’s open division, which he locked down in 2:06:17 (4 mins and 48 seconds per mile).
🧑🦽 Or, in the wheelchair division’s case: Wheel it back. On the 50th year of Boston wheelchair racing, Marcel Hug, a.k.a. “The Silver Bullet,” is all but sure to win his eighth Boston Marathon after obliterating his own course record last year. Meanwhile, last year’s women’s winner and relative newcomer Eden Rainbow-Cooper will also be back to defend her title.
🇺🇸 The American field is STACKED. On the women’s side, keep your eyes out for Keira D’Amato, a sub-2:20 marathoner; Emma Bates, who nabbed 12th last year; and 2018 winner Des Linden. For men, look out for CJ Albertson, who finished 7th last year, and Olympians Conner Mantz and Clayton Young. And don’t forget about now-friends of the B-Side(!) Colin Bennie and Jessie Cardin.
🤩 Per usual, some celebs will join the pack. See: Running ICON Paula Radcliffe (who has an epic road to Boston story); Bruins legend Zdeno Chara, who’s back for the third year in a row; former Bachelor and current enemy of the girls Matt James; and a whole lot more.
🚇 The MBTA will *also* be running. But not without some changes: The T is increasing service before and after the race, but Copley station will be closed all day, and South Street, Kent Street, and Saint Mary’s Street stations will be closed from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Meanwhile, all buses will be on a Saturday schedule, and many routes will see marathon-related changes.
🌳 Copley Square Park got a glow up. The park was partially reopened just in time for the marathon following the completion of the plaza and raised grove areas … not that we’ll be able to use them today. Instead, they’ll be used for athlete services, volunteer operations, and medical tents.
👀 Spectating can be its own marathon. So, we’d recommend consulting the incredibly thorough B.A.A. spectator’s guide. TL;DR, the men’s pro runners will start at 9:37 a.m., hit Wellesley at around 10:40, Brookline at 11:30, and cross the line at 11:45, with the women about 20 to 30 minutes behind. Not sure where to post up? Here’s a guide to popular spectating spots.
📺 Can’t watch IRL? No problem. You can watch the livestream on WCVB, and track your fave runners using this app.
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💅 Canal Street is getting a playoff szn makeover. The street will continue its tradition of undergoing a car-free transformation to become the Boston Playoff Hub! Translation: The street will be closed to cars before and during all the Celtics’ home playoff games at TD Garden. Exact closure times will vary game by game, so keep up with them here. That said, there won’t be quite as many closures this year. For the first time in eight seasons, the Bruins won’t be making a postseason run. So … let’s go Celtics!
💉 Ozempic is about to get a lot pricier. On Thursday, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts announced that in 2026, it’ll no longer cover GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy for weight loss, which, without insurance, run around $1,200 a month. Why? To put it simply: Costs are through the roof. In 2024, GLP-1s alone accounted for nearly 20% of the company’s drug spending — double the year prior. The drugs will still be covered for diabetes treatment, and large employers will have the option of retaining coverage for an extra charge.
✍🏾 Meet Boston’s new poet laureate! Please allow us to introduce Emmanuel Oppong-Yeboah, a Ghanaian American poet, editor, educator, and now Boston’s fourth poet laureate. As a longtime educator (they’re currently a librarian at Dorchester’s Joseph Lee School), Oppong-Yeboah is hoping to activate youth poetry initiatives during their tenure, which will be from July 2025 to 2029. Want a taste of their work? They’ll be performing on April 23 at the Cantab Lounge and on May 3 at Just Bookish.
🍦 City Hall Plaza is about to be LIT. Tickets to two of the plaza’s can’t-miss summertime foodie events just dropped. First, the annual Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl will be back to scoop all-you-can-eat ice cream from June 3 to 5. And code EARLYBIRD will get you $4 off! Just a few weeks later on June 21 and 22, the Boston Pizza Festival will be throwing down in the same space. Tickets are on sale now. $10 will get you in the door with two slices, and you can add on more slices.
💎 DIY your own charm jewelry. Three words: Customizable. Charm. Bracelets. OK, three more: And permanent jewelry! You can get it all at the Boston Public Market today.
📚 Hit up a literary launch party. Emily Henry hive, rise! Her new book, “Great Big Beautiful Life,” is coming out April 22, and Lovestruck is celebrating with a launch party.
👭 Make a new bookish bestie. Somerville’s Juliet is holding a literary lounge night on April 23. Think: Quiet communal reading punctuated by friendly chitchat.
🧘 Savasana with a smoothie. $23 gets you an hour-long relaxing yoga flow and a free smoothie from Mother Juice at the BPM on April 24.
🎨 Get crafty (with us!) We’re hosting a craft night at Craft Zone’s Brookline studio on April 24 to paint some glasses. And remember, members get $8 off tickets.
🎤 See Boston Calling artists for FREE. You could pay $344 to see Latrell James and Copilot perform at Boston Calling. Orrrr, you could see them for free at High Street Place on April 24.
🥃 Indulge in a four-course menu paired with fancy tequilas. Here’s the deal: Lifted at Omni Seaport is hosting Alma Del Jaguar Tequila & Terroir on April 24, valued at $135. If you become a B-Side member, you can snag one of our VERY limited $50 tickets.
🌳 Show Mother Earth some love. By planting trees! On April 25, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy is planting trees in Franklin Park for Arbor Day. Sign up here.
MEDIA PARTNERSHIP
This alluring, modern-day supper club puts a new twist on the timeless charm and the decadent aesthetic of supper clubs from a bygone era. Flaunting chic decor, a soul-infused menu, an intimate stage for live music and creative entertainment, and an enchanting cocktail lounge, Grace by Nia brings a new brand of cultural vibrancy to Boston’s Seaport. B-Side members get a complimentary entertainment fee when they show their B-Side pass!
Marathon Monday news tends to be pretty heavy on the running, and pretty light on the fashion.
But one scroll through social media will tell you that fashion and running are starting to go hand in hand, which is why Boston.com asked some of Boston’s most fashionable runners what they think about local running style.
TL;DR: It’s not weird to want to look good while you’re crossing the finish line, but when it comes to running, function > form. Trends like bright colors, or nods to classic design are nice, but if a fit doesn’t serve its purpose, like fitting correctly, or being able to carry gels and water, it’s not worth the cash. Check out all they had to say here.
— Written by Gia Orsino
🏅 Thanks for reading! And to all the B-Siders running the marathon today, YOU GOT THIS! We’re sending you all the good vibes.
💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, Meet Boston, for supporting local journalism and helping local employers and job seekers connect in a more authentic way.
🏃The results are in: 36% of B-Siders say they won’t be watching the marathon because of work, which, in the words of one reader “feels like a Bostonian on Bostonian crime.”
💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] or [email protected].
