Course

COURSE COMPONENTS

A. “City Add-on” Loop
This loop is approximately 2.2 miles and shows many of Boston’s tourist attractions and other places of interest.

• Eastbound start on Boylston Street, near the intersection of Boylston and Gloucester.
• Straight eastbound on Boylston Street
• Left onto Tremont Street
• Left onto Park Street (slight uphill)
• Left onto Beacon Street (slight downhill)
• Left onto Arlington Street
• Right onto Commonwealth Avenue
  

B. “Core Loop” (to be run four times)
This loop is 6 miles, flat, and shows Commonwealth Avenue and provides a view of Boston from across the Charles River.

• Continue westbound on Commonwealth Avenue
• Right onto Massachusetts Avenue, over the bridge
• Right onto Memorial Drive (eastbound) to turn around at the Sonesta Hotel
• Westbound on Memorial Drive to turn around point at Vassar Street
• Right onto Massachusetts Avenue, over the bridge
• Left onto Boylston Street
• Through the finish line in front of the Boston Public Library
• Left onto Dartmouth Street
• Left onto Commonwealth Avenue
  

Repeat this loop three more times, then finish at the existing Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston Street.

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Starting and finishing near the traditional Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston Street in front of the Boston Public Library in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood, the course begins with a one-time tour (2.2 miles) of historic Boston (ref.: City Add-on Loop). Back near the start/finish line, runners will commence four loops (ref.: Core Loop) of approximately six miles each through Back Bay, across the Charles River and into Cambridge.

Each Core Loop traverses the Charles River twice via the flat Massachusetts Avenue Bridge. Runners will follow the outbound lanes of picturesque Commonwealth Avenue to arrive on Massachusetts Avenue, and – once on the Cambridge side of the river – they will run east, then west, along one of Eastern Massachusetts’ most popular recreational parkways (Memorial Drive).

A full medical staff working within the Boston Marathon’s state-of-the-art facility at the finish line will be supplemented by two medical stations near the two turnaround points in Cambridge.

Runners return from each of the Core Loops from Massachusetts Avenue – including the final straightaway – along Boylston Street, which is famous as the homestretch of the Boston Marathon.

Notes to course highlights:

• The City Add-on Loop features many signature City of Boston tourist attractions; athletes will pass Boston Public Garden, Boston Common, State House, Beacon Hill, Bull and Finch Pub (a/k/a “Cheers”) and the sculptures, statues and unique architecture of the Commonwealth Avenue Mall.
• The Core Loop allows the athletes focus on a set distance and comfortable running terrain; attractions include spectacular views of Boston from Cambridge, as well as two of Boston’s internationally-recognized institutions – Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Boston University (BU).
• No hills of any significance are part of either the City Add-on Loop (except for a quick upgrade on Park Street) or the Core Loop. In fact, the most significant elevation change is a short downhill in the second mile as runners leave their sole tour of Beacon Hill.
• The course encompasses a significant portion of the established Women’s 10K National Championship course, the Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women, run in October. Therefore, many U.S. national class female athletes have already run the majority of this proposed course.
  

EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE
Starting and finishing at the Boston Marathon finish line provides a setting of historical significance for the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon. Temporary staging, which will be already in place for the Boston Marathon and which will be used for the Trials, include the JumboTron video monitor, photo bridge, bleachers for 3,000 spectators, announcer’s platform, and elite athlete holding, recovery and medical tents. In addition, permanent structures which are built-out each year and customized for the Boston Marathon, such as centers for hospitality and media, also will be utilized for the Trials.

SPECTATING
The entire course is accessible to spectators. Formal seating will be available in the bleachers and grandstand along the start/finish area, and numerous on-street spectator areas may be created. Approximately two miles of the Core Loop are separated by only a city block, allowing spectators to view the race at multiple locations with minimal effort. Creating a spectator-accessible course was a priority, as it is expected that most of the 25,000 runners participating in the Boston Marathon – along with thousands of others fans – will be interested in watching Boston sports and running history unfold.

INTANGIBLE
Positive encouragement from this country’s most knowledgeable fan base will provide an unprecedented opportunity for the Trials participants. Likewise, Boston presents a unique venue for presentation of America’s best distance runners by USATF and the B.A.A. to the running industry, which will already be on-site for the Boston Marathon.