RACE DAY INFO

ATHLETE TRACKING

Real time athlete updates are available. Athlete updates are real time messages sent to your mobile phone that update you while athletes you are following hit certain milestones during the race.

For security purposes, you will need to set up a Chronotrack account.

Click here to sign up for text message update for athletes.

RACE START TIMES

Wheelchair Start – 7:55 AM
Marathon Start – 8:00 AM
Half Marathon Start – 8:00 AM
Half Marathon Relay Start – 8:00 AM

Please give yourself ample time to park and get prepared for your race. Vehicle access around the start area ends promptly at 7:30.

RACE DAY PACKET PICKUP

You may pick up your bib and race shirt the morning of the race from 6:00am until 7:30 am inside the Tsongas Arena, 300 Arcand Dr. Lowell, MA 01852

Wearing your bib:

Runners, please make sure to wear your racing bibs so that they are visible on your outermost clothing. This will aid volunteers, and also help with you being seen in race photos.

Also note:

Any clothing or items left at the start will be donated to charity, specifically St. Vincent De Paul's in Lowell.

Strollers, rollerblades and unauthorized bikes are not allowed on the course.

The use of personal music devices is strongly discouraged at this race. To enjoy all that our race has to offer, and for the safety of all participants, we encourage a headphone-free environment during Baystate. (Go FAQ for more details.)

Water Stops for the Marathon

(approx. mileage from course start)

1.7 Miles, 3.3 Miles, 5.8 Miles, 7.2 Miles, 8.8 Miles, 10.4 Miles, 12.4 Miles, 13.4 Miles, 15.9 Miles, 17.3 Miles, 18.9 Miles, 20.5 Miles, 22.5 Miles, 23.6 Miles, 25.2 Miles

All water stops will offer water, lemon-lime Gatorade, and portable toilets.

Gels (GU-brand Vanilla Bean, caffeinated) will be available at mile 7 and mile 17.

FYI: We do NOT have a live video feed of the race. Thus, do not click on any social media links suggesting such (from spammers).

PARKING / BAG CHECK

Event parking:

The George Ayotte Parking Garage - $5 (cash only) race day only. It's at the start/finish at 11 Post Office Square. This one fills up quickly, so arrive quite early for a space. If you do not arrive early, then proceed to one of the other parking lots listed below. Since this parking garage is right next the start/finish, many us it. Thus, it does not offer easy access as the other garages do. You can experience long delays using this garage - especially leaving!

Again, these parking garages offer much better access to and from the race than the Ayotte. These are especially useful if you have to be somewhere at a certain time afterwards.
The Joseph Downes Garage (normal rates) at 75 John Street. About 1/3 of a mile from start/finish. This has easy access before and after the race.
The HCID Parking Garage (normal rates) at 350A Dutton St. About 4/10 of a mile from the start/finish. HCID Parking Garage is outside the road closures, so it will have easy access before and after the race.
The Market Street Garage (normal rates) at 100 Market St. About 1/2 mile south of the start/finish. Likewise, the Market Street Garage is outside of the road closures, so easy access coming into the race and leaving.
Street parking is also available on a first come, first serve basis.
More information about the garages can be found here.

Gear/Bag Check-in and Pickup:

Gear/Bag check-in and pickup locations be found in the Race Village map below.

In order to check your bag, use the gear tag that comes with your bib, along with your own bag, sack or the like.

Pacers

We have pacers for the marathon course that will be targeting the following finish times: 3:00, 3:10, 3:20, 3:30, 3:40, 3:50, 4:00.

You will find your pacers at the start line in an orange PACER shirt holding the sign with their finish time. Pacers will be running the whole race until the finish line. They run an even pace with a couple second cushion on the finishing time.

There are no pacers for the Half Marathon.

RACE VILLAGE

Post-Race

After you finish your race make sure to get your medal - you earned it!

We also provide the following for you after your race:

Courtesy changing tents available (next to the bag check tent in the finisher’s area).
Race fly-through video and a personalized photo gallery so you can brag on social media available the next day.
A BQ/PR bell, which will have a photographer to take pictures. So we want to encourage everyone one that runs a BQ or PR to stop by and ring the bell and get a picture!
A new addition is a Recovery Tent for runners to relax, get a massage or stretch by one of the massage therapists or physical therapists that will be in this area.
We offer hot soup, such as chicken noodle and minestrone, PBJ (or just Jelly) sandwiches, bagels, chips, oranges, water and soda.

RACE DAY ROAD CLOSURES

Race Start area: Arcand Drive from Merrimack St. to the Tsongas close to traffic well before the race, the exact time depends upon the inflow of cars, pedestrians and other factors. Some years it's been quite early. Once the area is closed to traffic, cars cannot enter the start/finish area and will have to park or drop runners outside the area and walk in.

On race day, many other roads near the start/finish area are closed to traffic, but not all roads. So please plan accordingly when trying to find the right spot to cheer on the runners. The rule of thumb, is the earlier you arrive the better. For parking, it's best to use the parking garages outside of the start/finish areas.

Here are some closures of note:

Start/Finish area: Arcand Drive from Merrimack St to the Tsongas closes at 7:30. After that time cars cannot enter the start/finish area and will have to park or drop runners outside the area and walk in (about ¼ mile).

In Tyngsborough, the Pawtucket Blvd East-Bound from Sherburne Ave / Varnum Ave to Old Ferry Rd is closed for the race from 8:00AM to 12 Noon.

To find places to watch your runners along either the full or half marathons, go to our course description page.