Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
line the entire route. An especially nice place to watch is tree-shaded Commonwealth
Avenue between Kenmore Square and Mass. Ave., but you'll be in a crowd wherever
you stand, particularly near the finish line in front of the Boston Public Library. For
information about watching, ask the staff at your hotel or check the daily papers. For
information about qualifying, contact the
Boston Athletic Association
(
&
617/236-
1652;
www.bostonmarathon.org).
ROWING
In late October, the
Head of the Charles Regatta
(
&
617/868-6200;
www.hocr.
org) attracts more rowers than any other crew event in the country. Some 4,000 oars-
men and -women race against the clock for 4 miles from the Charles River basin to
the Eliot Bridge in west Cambridge. Hundreds of thousands of spectators socialize and
occasionally watch the action, which runs nonstop on Saturday afternoon and all day
Sunday.
Spring crew racing
is more exciting than the “head” format; the course is 2,000m
(1
1
⁄
4
miles), and races last just 5 to 7 minutes. Men's and women's collegiate events take
place on Saturday mornings in April and early May in the Charles River basin. You'll
have a perfect view of the finish line from Memorial Drive between the MIT boat-
house and the Hyatt Regency Cambridge hotel. To find out who's racing, check the
Friday
Globe
sports section.
