Events

Before the race, Marathon Expo welcomes runners to Boston

Before they head to Hopkinton, the Hynes Convention Center opens up to the athletes, their families, and the fans.

Thousands of runners flocked to the Hynes Convention Center and the Boston Marathon Expo ahead of the 2014 race, picking up their official numbers as excitement built for the event. Dina Rudick / The Boston Globe

By Dave D'Onofrio

1 minute to read

The race itself returns to Patriots’ Day this year — but excited participants won’t need to wait until that Monday morning to immerse themselves in the Boston Marathon experience.

After all the miles run in training, and all the money raised, the Boston Marathon Expo will welcome runners, their families, and fans to Hynes Convention Center throughout the weekend prior for a variety of activities and opportunities, including pick-up of the bib numbers the racers will wear for their 26.2-mile jaunt.

The event is free, open to the public. In addition to bib numbers, runners can pick up their race packet and T-shirt, while everyone can peruse sponsor exhibits, shop at adidas’s Boston Marathon shop, and more. There’ll surely be plenty of photo opps, too, as there was during last year’s October Expo.

The 2022 Expo opens Friday, April 15, at 11 a.m., and is open until 6 that evening. Saturday and Sunday (April 16 and 17) the Expo runs from 9 a.m.-6 p.m., although organizers note that hours are subject to change.

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From the Hynes, it’s also only a short walk to Copley Square Park, which is where the Boston Marathon Fan Fest will be taking place concurrently on each of those three days. Promising live music and activities, that could pair nicely with the Expo as a way for marathoners and their support squad to bask in the excitement a bit before pounding the pavement in the 126th edition of this historic event.

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