Weekend Watch List: April 12-15
The weekend’s finally here, but its not just any regular weekend – its Marathon Weekend. While all the Boston teams will be competing this weekend, there will also be lots of local events surrounding the Boston Marathon. We’ve compiled a list of things to do this weekend – check it out!
Friday April 12
Head down to the Hynes Convention Center on Friday, Saturday or Sunday to check out the John Hancock Sports & Fitness Expo. With more than 200 exhibitors, the expo is free, open to the public and will have many inspirational speakers and events to get spectators excited for the marathon. From goodies to giveaways, the weekend expo is a sure bet for excitement and pre-race energy boosts.
In traditional Boston manner, the Red Sox are supporting the Marathon with a special Marathon weekend package. The Sox are first in the AL East Division with a record of 5-4. The team will host the Tampa Bay Rays in a 4 game series: Friday at 7:10 p.m., Saturday at 1:05 p.m., Sunday at 1:35 p.m., and Monday at 11:05 a.m. Head down to Fenway to catch the games! All games will be broadcast on NESN with the exception of Saturday’s game on Fox.
If you want to catch a basketball game, the Celtics will play the Miami Heat at 7:30. You can watch the action on CSNHD!
Saturday April 13
The Bruins (26-10-4) will travel to North Carolina to face off against the Hurricanes (16-22-2) at 7 p.m. Watch on NESN!
The Celtics will play Orlando at 7 p.m. Saturday night and the game will be broadcast on CSNHD.
Sunday April 14
There will be lots of pre-Marathon Monday competitions to check out on Sunday:
- Distance Medley: The Distance Medley, the annual 5K, will begin at 8 a.m. Sunday on Boylston Street between Clarendon and Berkeley Streets. With $5,000 at stake, each for the men’s and women’s winners, this race launches the weekend’s competitions into full gear.
- Invitational Mile: Following the Distance Medley, Boston youth runners will show off their speed at the Invitational Mile. Middle schoolers from towns along the marathon route will start the races with a 1K, and high schoolers will follow, sprinting a three-lap race to the marathon finish line.
- Midnight Marathon Bike Ride: And the marathon celebrations won’t stop through Sunday night. The night before the race, Boston cyclists prove that the runner’s aren’t the only athletes to claim this city’s streets. Hosted by BostonSOS, hundreds of bikers will meet at South Station at 10 p.m. the night before the run for the fifth annual Midnight Marathon Bike Ride.
Monday April 15
MARATHON MONDAY!
About 500,000 spectators line up along the 26.2-mile course each year to watch the marathon.
Here’s a few of the best places to watch:
- Hopkinton at the starting line, see the runners at their brightest
- At Mile 12, watch the Wellesley women doll out kisses, just before runners reach the half
- At Mile 21, you can watch the race at Boston College.
- If you’re looking to see runners give everything they’ve got in the home stretch, join Red Sox fans at Kenmore Square and Fenway with what will likely be the liveliest crowds on the entire route.
- And of course, downtown, you can hang out at Copley Square as racers complete the journey.
For a detailed map of the event with sponsors, mile-markers, and landmarks along the route, check out the official Boston Marathon course map.
Can’t stand the crowds? You can watch the race from the comfort of your own home at watchlive.baa.org or on WBZ-TV.
After all the Marathon excitement, wind down and watch the B’s as they host the Ottawa Senators (20-14-6) at 7:00 p.m. at TD Garden. You can head down to the Garden or else tune into the action on NESN!
