Why is the Boston Marathon on a Monday?

Out of the plethora of long-standing celebrations and traditions in Massachusetts, there’s certainly no denying that the Boston Marathon is one of the most favored and remembered of them all. 

Much like with any other tradition, the public is constantly searching up new information about said traditions — including which particular day(s) said tradition is supposed to be remembered. As one of the oldest celebrations in the city, the Boston Marathon features a race of thousands of competitors and also attracts thousands of spectators to the city. Since the early days of the revered event, it has memorably been held and celebrated on a Monday.

With the 2024 race officially underway, let’s explore exactly why the Boston Marathon falls on the first day of the traditional workweek.

Why is the Boston Marathon always on a Monday?

To follow with tradition, the Boston Marathon is held on a Monday due to it consistently taking place on Patriots’ Day. With the third Monday of April representing the celebration of Patriots’ Day, it makes sense why the marathon is combined with the annual event.

The marathon has especially remained in the public eye since the Boston Marathon bombing back in 2013, when two terrorist brothers created homemade pressure cooker bombs, planted them during the marathon, and injured hundreds of people, killing three in the process. Despite the tragedy, the city of Boston has continued its marathon celebrations and embodied the “BostonStrong” phrase ever since.

In the 2024 race, Ethiopian Sisay Lemma won the men’s title with an unofficial time of 2:06.17 and Kenyan Hellen Obiri secured the women’s with an unofficial time of 2:22.37.