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[ Wire ] · Dispatch · Nov 06

Boston Marathon Bib Pickup: Expo Location, Hours, and Rules

If you have secured a spot for the Boston Marathon, collecting your race number ahead of Patriots' Day is mandatory. The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) requires all accepted participants to claim their own bib number and race packet in person during official expo hours.

There is no race-morning packet pickup in Hopkinton, and bibs cannot be mailed. Understanding the location, schedule, and identification requirements will ensure a seamless visit.

Where is Boston Marathon packet pickup?

Bib collection and packet distribution take place inside the Bank of America Boston Marathon Expo, located at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in Boston's Back Bay:

John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center 900 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02116

The convention center is located close to the Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston Street. By public transit, the venue sits blocks from the MBTA Green Line's Hynes Convention Center and Copley stations. Because the Hynes Convention Center subway stop is not ADA accessible, the B.A.A. advises athletes needing accessible transit to use either the Copley Square or Prudential Center Green Line stations.

What are the Boston Marathon Expo hours?

The Boston Marathon Expo is free and open to the public during the following race-weekend operating hours:

  • Friday: 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
  • Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
  • Sunday: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Bib pickup is only permitted during these posted expo hours. Because the expo closes on Sunday evening before race day, plan your travel to Boston to arrive with sufficient time to visit Hynes Convention Center.

What documents do you need to pick up your bib?

To collect your race materials at the distribution counters, you must present two items:

1. Digital Number Pick-Up Pass: The B.A.A. emails this personalized pass to accepted entrants ahead of race weekend. If needed, runners can reprint or re-download the pass directly through their B.A.A. Athletes' Village account. 2. Official Government-Issued Photo ID: Entrants must present a valid physical government-issued photo ID (or official government-issued digital ID). Photocopies are not accepted. The name and information on your ID must match your registration details, unless an exception was approved in advance by B.A.A. Athlete Services.

The B.A.A. will not issue a bib to any entrant who has filed an insurance claim and received or been approved for an entry fee refund through the event's registration protection program.

Can someone else pick up your bib for you?

No. The B.A.A. strictly prohibits proxy bib pickup. Every participant must pick up their own race bib in person at the expo.

Under official B.A.A. competition rules, bib numbers and timing devices are non-transferable and non-exchangeable. You cannot assign, sell, trade, or transfer the right to obtain your bib to another runner, family member, charity auction, or lottery. Anyone found duplicating a bib, running under another athlete's number, or transferring a bib is subject to immediate disqualification and potential future bans from B.A.A. events.

What items do you receive in your race packet?

When claiming your materials at the expo desks, you will receive:

  • Your official B.A.A. Boston Marathon bib number with an integrated timing tag.
  • Your official long-sleeve participant shirt.
  • A clear plastic finish-area gear bag for optional race-morning bag check in Boston.
  • A small one-gallon clear plastic Start Area Bag (the bag containing your bib), which is the only bag permitted on official B.A.A. buses and inside the Hopkinton Athletes' Village.

What rules apply to wearing your race bib?

Your bib must be pinned on the front and outermost layer of your clothing, remaining fully visible throughout the race. Do not trim, fold, alter, cover, or duplicate the bib. The B.A.A. also asks runners to fill out medical and emergency contact details on the back of the bib before heading to Hopkinton on race morning.

To review qualification standards, elevation policies, and field guides, visit our Boston Marathon page.

Sources: B.A.A. Info for Athletes, B.A.A. Digital Number Pick-Up Pass, B.A.A. Boston Marathon Rules and Policies

Sources Boston Athletic Association