Prestigious Road Race to Air in Spanish in ESPN Deportes Debut

Boston ABC Affiliate WCVB-TV Broadcasting Race Locally

ESPN will present live, multiplatform coverage of the 127^th running of the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 17, as the prestigious road race returns to ESPN for the first time since 2004.

In partnership with Boston ABC affiliate WCVB-TV, ESPN will televise the event starting at 8:30 a.m. ET, with coverage continuing until 1 p.m. In addition, the race will air in Spanish on ESPN Deportes for the first time, and reports will air on SportsCenter from Boston. WCVB will broadcast the race locally with ESPN and ESPN Deportes’ coverage blacked out in the Boston market

The race field includes 30,000 entrants from 122 countries and all 50 U.S. states.

This year’s race is particularly significant as it commemorates the 10th anniversary of the tragic events surrounding the 2013 Boston Marathon, with the anniversary to be recognized by race organizers.

In addition, one of the most popular athletes ever to play in Boston, three-time World Series champion and Red Sox legend David Ortiz, will serve as the race’s Grand Marshal.

On the telecast, ESPN SportsCenter anchors John Anderson and Sage Steele will join the crew of announcers and analysts from WCVB-TV on the race call from Boston.

Reporting from the finish line photo bridge, Anderson will call the race with analysis by former professional American middle-distance runner and 2004 Olympian, Carrie Tollefson, and Meb Keflezighi, former professional American long-distance runner, four-time Olympian, 2014 Boston Marathon champion and 2004 Olympic Marathon silver medalist for Team USA.

Working at the finish line, Steele will provide up-to-the-minute coverage and exclusive interviews with competitors as they complete their race. She will be joined by race analyst Amanda McGrory, Paralympic medalist and Boston Marathon wheelchair division podium finisher, and WCVB sports anchor Duke Castiglione.

The Boston Marathon on other ESPN platforms:

ESPN Deportes

ESPN’s 24/7 Spanish-language platform serving U.S. Hispanic sports fans will have its first live telecast of the Boston Marathon from 9:30 a.m. until noon on Monday, April 17. Mariano Ryan and Daniel Arcucci will provide the commentary.

SportsCenter

Reporter Michele Steele will report for SportsCenter from Boston before the live Marathon coverage and later in the day.

SC Featured – “Running for Martin”

The Sunday, April 16, “SC Featured” segment, debuting in the 8 a.m. edition of SportsCenter, remembers Martin Richard, one of three people killed in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. As Chris Connelly reports, Martin was eight when he was killed by the first bomb, which exploded near the finish line Since 2014. Martin’s parents have turned their tragedy into a lasting legacy by investing in programs that encourage young people to celebrate diversity and engage as community leaders. The feature marks the first time the Richard family has sat for interviews about Martin and includes Martin’s father Bill and his older brother Henry, both of whom will be running in the marathon. The feature will re-air in other editions of SportsCenter after its debut.

ESPN and Hearst Television’s WCVB-TV are in the first year of a multi-year agreement with the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) to televise the event nationally and locally, respectively. ESPN previously televised the race in the early 1980’s and then from 1997-2004.

In Boston, WCVB will air a live prime time special Running Strong: The 127th Boston Marathon, on Thursday, April 13, at 8 p.m. On Marathon Monday, WCVB NewsCenter 5’s team of anchors and reporters will cover every angle of the race starting at 4 a.m. in WCVB’s EyeOpener newscasts continuing through a special edition of Chronicle at 7:30 p.m.

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Media contact: [email protected]

(Photo courtesy Boston Athletic Association)