boston marathon
The 2017 Boston Marathon kicks off at 10 a.m. EDT Monday. Above, Lucas Carr of Boston crosses the finish line during the 120th running of the Boston Marathon, April 18, 2016. Gretchen Ertl/Reuters

It’s been four years since a bomb exploded at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring several hundred others. But that won’t stop 32,500 runners from showing up Monday for the 26-mile race from Hopkinton to Boston’s Copley Square.

The race route runs along Routes 135, 16 and 30 before entering Boston’s city streets, passing through Ashland Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton and Brookline — 26 miles and 385 yards.

The first 7,700 runners in the elite men's division, wearing red bibs, begin racing at 10 a.m. EDT, followed by the next 7,600 at 10:25 a.m. sporting white bibs, 7,600 in blue bibs at 10:50 a.m. and the remaining 8,500 in yellow bibs at 11:15 a.m. The women and disabled divisions begin racing earlier.

You can watch the live coverage on WBZ-TV, Boston, here, beginning at 9 a.m.

The race is considered one of the most difficult marathons because of a series of hills, including Heartbreak Hill, which climbs 88 feet over 0.4 mile between the 20- and 21-mile marks near Boston College, a point in the race where many runners are running out of energy.

Here are some course records:

  • Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya ran the fastest Boston Marathonin 2011, 2:03:02
  • Bezunesh Deba of Ethiopia set the women’s record in 2014, 2:19:56
  • Lemi Berhanu Hayle of Ethiopia won the 2016 men’s division, 2:12:45
  • Atsede Baysa of Ethiopia won the 2016 women’s division, 2:29:19.
  • Marcel Hug of Switzerland won the 2016 men’s wheelchair division, 1:24:06
  • Tatyana McFadden of the United States won the 2016 women’s wheelchair division, 1:42:16

Until 2015, so-called bandits — people who did not register for the race and obtain a bib number — were allowed to join the race after all official entrants were off (that’s how race director Dave McGillivray first got involved as a teenager). The marathon’s official website says because of the number of participants now involved in the race, it’s too difficult to come up with adequate water and other amenities to be able to include nonentrants.

Best places to watch the marathon:

  • If you’re into buzz and anticipation, the starting line.
  • Want a seat? Try Ashland.
  • Framingham is probably the best place to spot a particular runner because at that point, entrants aren’t as densely packed.
  • Natick is for those who want to party with the crowd.
  • Wellesley marks the halfway point.
  • Newton Hills is where you want to be to encourage runners who may be fading into the stretch.
  • Boston College will give you a view of the runners as they crest the last of theHeartbreak Hills.
  • Cleveland Circle is where the crowds get really thick.
  • At Kenmore Square you can meet up with Red Sox fans and really get the party going.
  • For an emotional finish, Boylston Street is the place to be.
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