2022 Boston Marathon Public Safety Preparations Announced

The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annually held marathon. This will be the first Boston Marathon held on Patriots’ Day since 2019 after being canceled in 2020 and moved to October in 2021 due to the pandemic. This year’s race will also mark 50 years since the women’s division was first featured at the Boston Marathon. Thirty thousand participants from all 50 states and nearly 100 countries are expected to run the Marathon and nearly 10,000 volunteers will take part in the event. 

“The Boston Marathon showcases our city and communities on the world stage, and I’m overjoyed to welcome this tradition back this April,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “This year we also celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first official women’s field. Our public safety and first responders have been hard at work to ensure a safe, healthy race. Congratulations to all of the athletes, and see you at the finish line!”

“Two Boston Marathons in six months is unprecedented, but we are delighted to hold the 126th edition of the race on its Patriots’ Day date again with the support of Mayor Wu and the City of Boston,” said President & CEO of the B.A.A. Tom Grilk. “The 2022 Boston Marathon will inject more than $200 million into a Greater Boston economy that is still recovering from the pandemic, and we are honored to do our part in the reopening of society.”

Public Safety

• Boston Police Department (BPD) will have uniformed and undercover officers along the marathon route.
• Cameras will be active along the Boston portion of the Marathon route, and observation points will be set up around the finish line area in the Back Bay to monitor the crowd.
• Spectators are encouraged to leave large items such as backpacks and strollers at home. These items are not banned; however, individuals may be subject to search.
• Call 9-1-1 in an emergency situation and follow @bostonpolice for race safety updates.
• Boston Fire will have walking patrols along the course to respond to incidents. Patrols can call-in additional assets, utilizing the alleys and adjacent roadways to the course. Air quality monitoring will also be carried-out along the route.
• Boston Fire will stage its specialized units for Tech Rescue, HazMat, Decon, and additional apparatus at strategic locations on both sides of the course.

Emergency Medical Services

• Boston EMS will have enhanced medical coverage, including additional personnel in the field, dispatch and special operations. 
• Units will be deployed along the Boston route and in the finish line area, ready to serve anyone requiring medical assistance, including runners, spectators and volunteers. This will include EMTs and Paramedics working on ambulances, bikes and carts, as well as in medical stations. 
• Through close coordination with medical volunteers, Boston EMS works to treat and release as many people on scene as possible, which is intended to mitigate the impact to the hospital system. 
• Boston EMS plans to increase the number of ambulances citywide to ensure there will be no disruption in services to residents.

Street Closures and Traffic Advisories

Please see the traffic advisory from the Boston Transportation Department.

• Vehicle traffic will be prohibited and parking will be restricted on many streets in Boston in the days leading up to the Boston Marathon and on Monday, April 18, 2022.  
• Using the MBTA to travel to and from Boston on Marathon Monday is strongly recommended. Detailed information on MBTA service can be found at www.MBTA.com.  For a faster return trip, the MBTA advises riders to purchase a round-trip rather than a one-way ticket.
• On Marathon Monday, Newbury Street and Huntington Avenue outbound will be closed to vehicle traffic to allow easier spectator movement in the area.
• Visitors are encouraged to take advantage of the City’s Bluebikes program.
• Read all posted signs and variable message boards carefully.

Emergency Communications

• The City’s Emergency Operations Center will be open on Monday to monitor the races. The EOC will be staffed by our City departments, state agencies and our non-profit partners to coordinate the City’s operational plan. Additionally, the EOC will monitor the weather, maintain situational awareness regarding the various Marathon events, respond to any resource requests from public safety and manage family reunification if needed.
• Boston EMS, Police, Fire, and the Office of Emergency Management will have personnel assigned to the multi-agency coordination center at the Massachusetts Emergency Operation Center in Framingham.
• BPHC will have staffing at the Dispatch Operations Center and Central Medical Emergency Dispatch (CMED) Center where ambulance to hospital communication throughout metropolitan Boston is coordinated.
• Sign up for AlertBoston to receive emergency notifications from the City at boston.gov/emergency. Alerts are available in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, Cape Verdean Creole, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Russian, Soomaali, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Public Health

• The BAA (Boston Athletic Association) and City of Boston have worked together this year to ensure the safety of all participants, staff, volunteers, and spectators.
• We strongly encourage everyone to practice personal responsibility for the 126^th Boston Marathon. Guests traveling with athletes and spectators cheering on participants are encouraged to take efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
  • These efforts may include:
    • Being fully vaccinated 
    • Getting tested for COVID-19 prior to any travel 
    • Only using B.A.A. provided course nutrition in lieu of accepting hydration or food from spectators 
• This is an entirely outdoor, open-air event. It is encouraged, but not required, to wear masks.
• Individuals who are not fully vaccinated are at higher risk of suffering severe illness or death from COVID-19 infection.
• Any participant, volunteer, or spectator exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 should stay home.
• To get vaccinated, find a location near you on boston.gov/coronavirus.