Tonight I learned there’s an unsanctioned “Midnight Marathon” bike ride each year the night before the Boston Marathon. Thousands of bikers ride the mostly empty streets and today was the 16th year.

Tonight I learned there’s an unsanctioned “Midnight Marathon” bike ride each year the night before the Boston Marathon. Thousands of bikers ride the mostly empty streets and today was the 16th year.

A U.S. Coast Guard response boat moves steadily across Boston Harbor on a calm, overcast day, with Logan International Airport visible in the distance. The aluminum and orange-hulled vessel, equipped with mounted security equipment, is part of routine maritime patrol operations ensuring the safety of one of New England’s busiest ports. Behind it, commercial ships and aircraft highlight the harbor’s strategic role as a hub for both air and sea transport serving the Greater Boston area.

2024 Boston Marathon Patches for sale at the Marathon Expo in 2024.

2024 Boston Marathon stickers for sale at the Expo.

Inside Boston’s Park Street Station, a tiled corridor displays a Bank of America advertisement for the Boston Marathon’s charity initiative. The green and white MBTA sign directs riders toward the Green Line platforms for Copley and westbound service. Park Street—one of the oldest subway stations in the United States—sits beneath the Boston Common, serving as a major interchange for the city’s transit system since 1897.

A train with Bank of America Boston Marathon wrap.

A runner’s bib card for the 2024 Boston Marathon celebrates a milestone in the Abbott World Marathon Majors series, listing all six legendary races: Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York, and Boston. Completing all six earns participants the coveted Six Star Medal, recognizing one of distance running’s most challenging global achievements. The card’s bright design, set on a marble surface, captures the excitement and prestige surrounding Boston’s historic 26.2-mile race — the oldest annual marathon in the world.