From Hopkinton to Boylston, thousands of spectators lined up along the race route to cheer on more than 30,000 runners at the 129th Boston Marathon.
Each year, marathon goers take the opportunity to make the best colorful, witty signs to give motivation and show their support, for strangers and loved ones alike.
Filled with Boston and pop culture references, inspirational words, inside jokes, and quick quips, these are the best signs from the 2025 Boston Marathon.
From left: Lucy Wesemann, Emily Liu, and Halle Frey, all immunology students at Harvard University, cheered on Wesemann’s dad, Duane Wesemann, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard. They made a fitting sign with a drawing that showed how immunotherapy kills cancer cells and wrote “You’re killing it” underneath. (Emily Spatz for The Boston Globe)Wellesley College students cheer on the elite runners in the scream tunnel during the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 21, 2025. – Suzanne Kreiter/Globe staffAndrea Mossman, 45, of Hopkinton, said her group of friends joke that their friend, Kaitlyn Mullen, is “only running the marathon for the attention.” Her sign pokes fun at the running joke, signaling that she, too, enjoys being in the spotlight. – Claire Thornton/Globe Staff
From left: Dick’s Sporting Goods coworkers Amber Pope, Matt Bower, Elise Alaan, and Emma Robersy cheered on two fellow employees from the marathon route in Framingham. – Maren Halpin for The Boston GlobeErin Sperry and Neal Peterson cheered on their friend Will Schmidt with a sign inspired by Charli xcx’s album “brat.” – Emily Spatz for The Boston Globe
A marathon goer holds a sign reading, “Hill? More like speed bump,” on Heartbreak Hill during the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 21, 2025. – Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe StaffSven Johnson of Uxbridge cheered on his wife, Jessica. He brought a sign inspired by “The Office” and Michael Scott’s less-than-successful run after loading up on carbs in the form of fettuccine alfredo.Jade Law and Anna Leclair cheered on their friend’s boyfriend with a sign inspired by the television show “Severance.” – Emily Spatz for The Boston GlobeWellesley College students cheered in the runners and addressed the striking educators at the college during the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 21, 2025. – Suzanne Kreiter/Globe staff
Emmalee McComb, Katie Magner, Courtney Daly, and Molly Kelley (pictured left to right) hold their signs at Mile 13. – Sarah MesdjianMadie Fitts (right) stood along the route in Boston with her friends Abby Walsh (left) and Kelly Prinner (center), supporting their friend Emma Rosen with a tongue-in-cheek sign. – Christopher Huffaker/Globe StaffSofia Berman Rodriguez (left) and Soumya Warty cheered on runners in Brookline with this sign, marking the news earlier Monday that Pope Francis had died at the age of 88. – Emily Spatz for The Boston GlobePrescott Dunn, who was cheering on a former coworker, Lauren Fraatz, said his sign was inspired by a podcast he heard where someone asked if the Boston Marathon was longer than the Los Angeles Marathon. – Emily Spatz for The Boston Globe
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