After 124 Years, A New Boston Marathon Debuts

BOSTON, MA — The nightly broadcast of "Boston Marathon Live," a weeklong, virtual race, kicks off Monday. The program, presented by Amazon and WBZ-TV, will air every night from Monday, Sept. 7 through Sunday, Sept. 13.

Co-produced by the B.A.A. and WBZ-TV, a new one-hour show will premiere on CBSBoston.com each night at 8 p.m. and re-air at midnight. Each show can be viewed worldwide.

Participants will complete 26.2 miles within their neighborhoods from Sept. 5 through Sept. 14. Runners must still complete the race without any stops, but now they may choose a day with a suitable forecast to do so, BAA Race Director Dave McGillivray told GBH News. They also have the option to use a treadmill.

The race is only open for runners who previously registered for the 2020 Boston Marathon, which was first postponed and later canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. It's the first time in the marathon's 124-year history that it is not being run in its traditional format.

"Boston Marathon Live" will be hosted by Lisa Hughes, award-winning journalist and WBZ-TV anchor, and feature interviews with Boston Marathon personalities, including champions, and profiles on participants in the virtual experience. Race finishers will have the opportunity to be highlighted on air.

"The B.A.A. is delighted to partner with Amazon and WBZ-TV to offer a week of programming that will celebrate our participants, spotlight race history, and serve as a unifying element throughout the Boston Marathon Virtual Experience," B.A.A. CEO Tom Grilk. "The nightly show will be available to our global audience and truly allow for us to bring Boston to the world."

The Boston Marathon Expo, produced by Conventures, Inc., started Sept. 4 and will run through Sept. 15. The virtual expo is free and will feature sessions with running legends, coaches, dieticians and wellness professionals. Visitors will have the opportunity for real-time video or text chats with brand representatives from participating companies and to shop from a variety of exhibitors.

Participants interested in being featured on "Boston Marathon Live" should email to stories@baa.org with more information on their virtual experience, including when and where they plan to run. Runners may also submit high-resolution videos to be featured on the broadcast or on Boston Marathon and B.A.A. social media by following the steps on the video submissions webpage.