Patriots' Day 2015: Date, Boston Marathon Schedule and Sports Guide
The third Monday in April is nearly here, which means it's time for a few select states to celebrate Patriots' Day, a holiday that commemorates the Battles of Lexington and Concord at the dawn of the Revolutionary War.
Patriots' Day, which falls on April 20 this year, is more than just a three-day weekend in Massachusetts and Maine; it also happens to be a major sports weekend, an early spring treat and another way to establish civic pride.
The Boston Marathon is traditionally run on Patriots' Day, and this year, the 119th edition of the race, will be no different. The esteemed race cuts a swath across Massachusetts, starting in the small town of Hopkinton and finishing well inside Boston proper.
Here's a quick rundown of the race-day schedule.
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| Mobility Impaired | 8:50 a.m. |
| Push-Rim Wheelchair | 9:17 a.m. |
| Handcycle | 9:22 a.m. |
| Elite Women's | 9:32 a.m. |
| Elite Men's and Wave One | 10:00 a.m. |
| Wave Two | 10:25 a.m. |
| Wave Three | 10:50 a.m. |
| Wave Four | 11:15 a.m. |
Meb Keflezighi of San Diego, California is the defending men's champion. He finished the race in two hours, eight minutes and 37 seconds in 2014. Rita Jeptoo of Kenya paced the women's division, finishing with a time of 2:18:57.
The race has taken on added meaning since the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013. Keflezighi's victory last year was the first for an American male since 1983, per Jimmy Golen of the Associated Press (h/t MassLive.com).
"The marathon gods blessed Meb with that run. It was electric," said Shalane Flanagan, who hopes to win the race on the women's side this year, per Golen. "Last year was extremely special, just being an American. It's a run I'll never, ever forget."
NBC Sports' Nick Zaccardi noted some of the top women runners expected to hit the pavement in this year's field:
"An Ethiopian will also likely win the women’s race. The four fastest elites are from that nation, led by Mare Dibaba and Buzunesh Deba, runners-up to Kenyan Rita Jeptoo at the 2014 Chicago Marathon and 2014 Boston Marathon, respectively.
Jeptoo, the 2013 and 2014 Boston winner, is not going for a threepeat Monday because she tested positive for EPO in September and was suspended for two years.
Flanagan, 33 and the 2008 Olympic 10,000m bronze medalist, finished seventh in Boston last year in 2:22:02, which was 3:36 faster than her personal best going in.
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Keflezighi will be on hand, or foot rather, in Boston to defend his title.
Boston Red Sox
There's more to Patriots' Day in Massachusetts than the marathon. The Boston Red Sox will be playing the final contest of a four-game home series on Monday against the Baltimore Orioles. The series is currently split at one win apiece. According to Nick O'Malley of MassLive.com, lefty Wei-Yin Chen is the probable starter on the mound for Baltimore, and he is set to take on righty Justin Masterson.
| Masterson | 2 | 10.2 | 11 | 5 | 11 | 7.59 |
| Chen | 2 | 10.1 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 4.35 |
The Patriots' Day game will have an unusually early start time of 11:05 a.m ET. There's a good reason for this, though. According to BAA.org, Fenway Park will host the Boston Marathon's official post-race party, set to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET.
The Red Sox are currently 7-4 and atop the American League East standings, so expect to see an electric, patriotic crowd out in full force at Fenway Park on Monday, even with the mid-morning start time.
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