Your Guide To Enjoying/Surviving The Boston Marathon

The Boston Marathon kicks off tomorrow, Monday, April 16, whether you plan to attend the race as a spectator, runner or just drive near it, you will likely a marathon guide. Check out the information below and be sure to tune into Waltham Patch for full coverage of the marathon on Monday.

• The race starts at 9 a.m. with the handicapped racers and sucessive waves of runners starts in the minutes after. Click on the PDF in the photo box to the right for a map of the route.
  

• A list of
• Profiles of a Waltham teacher and a running the marathon.

Newton Road Closures

• Washington Street from the Wellesley Line (Rte. 16) to Commonwealth Avenue (Rte. 30) will be closed from roughly 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. According to Newton Lt. Bruce Apotheker, the road could open before 5 p.m. depending on how the race day goes.

• Commonwealth Avenue (Rte. 30) to the Boston line will also be closed from approximately 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• All roads that cross Commonwealth Avenue and/or Washington Street will effectively be dead ends, as traffic will not be able to cross the marathon route.

• Drivers can use Rte. 128 and Rte. 9 to get across town. The Mass Pike is also recommended.

Brookline Road Closures

• According to the Brookline Police blog, there will be "altered traffic patterns" around Beacon Street (Route 9A). Beacon will be closed to traffic for the entire length through Brookline, officially from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.

MBTA Schedules

• The Red, Blue, Orange, Green, and Mattapan Line will operate on a regular weekday schedule with extra service before and after the marathon. 

• Copley Station will be closed all day. Use Hynes or Arlington Stations. Customers will only be permitted to exit from the Boylston Street side of Hynes Convention Center Station. 

• Due to road closures, Green B Line will stop at South Street.

• The Green C line stop at Kent Street will be bypassed from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

• The Green C line stop at St. Mary's on Beacon Street will be bypassed between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. 

• Bicycles will not be allowed on the subway. Bicycles are permitted on the commuter rail except for peak-period trips, which are identified by shading on the schedules. 

• Customers are urged to load value on to their CharlieCards in advance in order to avoid long lines on Marathon Monday. 

• Commuter Rail service will operate on its regular weekday schedule. 

• Due to the dramatically increased ridership with extreme crowds, customers should expect delays throughout the day and are encouraged to budget additional time for his/her commute. 

• Several bus routes will be diverted during Marathon Monday and customers are strongly encouraged to check T-Alerts and MBTA.com throughout the day for up-to-the-minute information. For a full list of the affected bus routes, check the MBTA marathon information website.

Newton Patch editor Melanie Graham and Brookline Patch Editor Grahame Turner contributed to this report.