Today sees a host of the world’s best long-distance runners descending on the rural town of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, for the 129th edition of the Boston Marathon. Reigning champions Sisay Lemma and Hellen Obiri will both be in action as they bid to defend their titles.
Read on and we'll show you how to watch the Boston Marathon from anywhere with a VPN.
The 2025 Boston Marathon live stream takes place today (April 21).
► Time — 9:37 a.m. ET / 6:37 a.m. PT / 2.37 p.m. BST / 11:37 p.m. AEST
• U.S. — Watch on ESPN2 via Sling TV / Fubo / ESPN+
• U.K. — Watch on Discovery +
• Australia — Watch on FloTrack
• Watch anywhere — try NordVPN 100% risk free
The longest-running annual road marathon in the world, the Boston Marathon always attracts a strong field of competitors and this year is no different. In the women’s race, Hellen Obiri is attempting to complete the three-peat after triumphing in 2023 and 2024, but faces stiff competition from Ethiopian duo Amane Beriso and Yalemzerf Yehualaw.
In the men’s event, defending champion Sissay Lemma of Ethiopia leads a host of world-class athletes who have broken the 2.05 mark. Kenyan Evans Chebet has a best of 2.03 and has previously won in New York and Boston, while Ethiopia’s Haymanot Alew was third in Berlin last year. Kenya’s John Korir is another consistent performer who will be eying victory in Boston.
Of course, it’s not just elite runners who will be competing, as there will be a total of 32,000 people will be taking part in the race that covers a 42km course that starts in Hopkinton and ends on Boylston Street in Boston.
Can Obiri become the first woman in 26 years to achieve the ‘three-peat’ at the world’s oldest annual marathon? Tune in to find out.
Here's how to watch a 2025 Boston Marathon live stream online from anywhere, including for free.
2025 Boston Marathon start times
(All times ET)
- Men’s Wheelchair – 9:06 a.m.
- Women’s Wheelchair – 9:09 a.m.
- Handcycles & Duos – 9:30 a.m.
- Elite Men – 9:37 a.m.
- Elite Women – 9:47 a.m.
- Para Athletics Division – 9:50 a.m.
- Wave 1 – 10:00 a.m.
- Wave 2 – 10:25 a.m.
- Wave 3 – 10:50 a.m.
- Wave 4 – 11:15 a.m.
Can I watch the Boston Marathon for free online?
Typically, RTVE Play offers a free Boston Marathon live stream to fans in Spain although there's no official confirmation as yet. You'll need to use a high-quality VPN to watch the stream when traveling outside of Spain. We use NordVPN and it works brilliantly. More details below.
Boston Marathon live streams around the world
Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching the race on your usual domestic streaming service?
You can still watch the Boston Marathon live stream online thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software allows your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are. So ideal for fans away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN. It's the best on the market:
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in Spain and want to view a Spanish. service, you'd select Spain from the list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to RTVE Play or another website and watch the 2025 Boston Marathon free live stream.
How to watch Boston Marathon live streams in the U.S.
The 2025 Boston Marathon is being shown on ESPN2 and ESPN Plus in the U.S..
If you've already cut the cord and don't have a cable package, you can get the channels through an OTT cable TV alternative.
Sling TV is the option we'd recommend. It includes ESPN2 in its Orange plan, with prices starting from $46 a month.
How to watch Boston Marathon live streams in the U.K.
Live coverage of the 2024 Boston Marathon is being provided by Eurosport and Discovery+ in the U.K..
A 'standard' subscription to Discovery+ will set you back £3.99 per month. The package includes coverage of a wide array of live sports, including cycling, snooker, tennis, motorsports and more.
A premium subscription, which carries all that plus TNT Sports (Premier League, Champions League and Europa League football plus rugby, wrestling, UFC, and MotoGP), costs £30.99 per month.
If you're currently traveling overseas, don't worry, as you can use NordVPN to watch from abroad.
How watch Boston Marathon live streams in Australia
The 2025 Boston Marathon is being shown on FloTrack in Australia, where a subscription costs $29.99 per month or $149.99 per year.
Away from your Australian home right now? You can simply use a VPN, such as NordVPN, to watch the race as if you were back in Oz.
