Established Natick residents know the drill by now on Boston Marathon day, from where to catch the best action depending on your appetite for crowds to how to avoid getting trapped on either side of Rte. 135 if you need to get somewhere else. But for those new to the area or who need a refresher, here’s a quick primer on the Boston Marathon through the 4.5 miles in Natick, the fourth town along the course:
Road closings
Rte. 135 will be off limits to non-official vehicles from 8:30am-3:30pm on April 17, per Natick Police and the Boston Athletic Association, though signage in Natick also says that crossing Rte. 135 will be forbidden as of 7:30am.
Where to watch
It depends on what you’re looking for. Big crowds will gather in Natick Center and along the Common, where you’re likely to find everything from drummers to vendor carts along the sidelines. Crowds are thinner at parts between the 7.5-mile mark at the start of Natick’s section of the course and along the stretch into Wellesley just before the 12-mile mark and the start of the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel.
You can grab water views near the VFW, which sits between Lake Cochituate and Fisk Pond along the stretch from mile 9 to 10. If you’re a history buff, you can let the shoe shop of former U.S. Vice President Henry Wilson photo bomb your marathon shots at mile 8.5. Natick is among the flattest sections of the course, though the road starts to rise into Wellesley.
The wheelchair athletes start just after 9am and should be hitting Natick Center within 40 minutes. The runners start shortly after 9:30am, so should be hitting Natick Center within an hour.
Natick runners
Roughly 50 Natick residents are listed as official entrants by the Boston Athletic Association. Best of luck to all!
Eric Ashe (elite), Ellen Banthin. Michelle Barbin, Shannon Beale, Tara Bharadwaj, Leon Chen, Devon Choi, Lucas Davis, Michael Davis, Benjamin Deschatre, Judith Dixon, Matthew Ellis, Lexi Fahey, Jack Fleming, Maggie Fox, April Garry, Chris Georgules, Russell Greenwald, Courtney Harris, Eric Hazlinsky, David Holtzman, Charles Jetzer, Dylan Jones, Daniel Joseph, Mary Catherine Joseph, Paul Joseph, Shawn Kearns, Mahnsool Kim, Nicholas Kynoch, Michael Lawrence, Jazmin Lora, Allison Lucenta, Uday Mandhata, Cassie Mclaughlin, Mary Mills, Kirsty Mitchell, Nancy Murphy, Ervis Nunez, Jessica Ordway, Sherry Pagoto, Joseph Ranucci, Miguel Rodriguez, Leah Santo, Patric, Schenk, Caitlyn Siebenmorgen, Rebecca Stern, Aaron Stevens, Edward Sullivan, Nishant Warwade.
Charity runners
We invited Natick residents and those participating in the race for Natick charities to share their info.
More coverage
- Boston Marathon art at 10-mile mark in Natick made from Dunkin’ cups
- What to know about running through Natick (WCVB-TV)
- Natick’s Jack Fleming named Boston Athletic Association CEO
- Where there’s a Will (Smith), there’s a way for Boston Marathon runners in Natick (2022 race)
Please share your best Boston Marathon photos from the Natick section of the course: natickreport@gmail.com
Thanks for this, Bob! Municipal sign on Union St says 7:30 am closure. Usually it has been 8:30.
Thanks Aileen, it looks like the town may be making a distinction between closing 135 (8:30am) and crossing Rte. 135 (7:30am). The info I originally got from the police and BAA was 8:30 but that must refer specifically to the road closure…will update the post. Bob
Difference between closing and crossing?
Makes you wonder about who is in charge and they could possibly be thinking?