Boston Marathon 2014 Scheduled, Expanded Media Coverage Planned

The 2014 Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 21, Patriots' Day in Massachusetts.

According to the website, http://www.baa.org/, plans are already in place to provide expanded media coverage of the event, and organizers are determined the 2014 event will not be overshadowed by the violence that marked the previous year.

“The annual Boston Marathon is already one of the most anticipated international events within the running community, and in 2014 the eyes of the world, runners and non-runners alike, will be on the city of Boston. We want to allow the 2014 Boston Marathon to shine for what it is and not be overshadowed by the events of 2013,” said Scott Brown, President of Universal Sports, which will provide live television and online coverage of the event. “Marathons are about perseverance and the triumph of the human spirit, and the 2014 Boston Marathon will be a crowning example of that.”

USN, the year-round destination for Olympic and endurance sports programming, will also provide live race day coverage from Copley including pre- and post-race shows at 8:30 AM ET and 12:30 PM ET respectively, and a wrap-up show at 4 PM ET.

The network’s exclusive national TV coverage of the world’s oldest annual marathon will showcase an expanded field of 36,000 runners tackling the historic 26.2-mile course, including many of the sport’s elite marathoners and wheelchair racers. In addition to the highly anticipated race, Universal Sports will air a special preview show from the finish line on Boylston Street featuring analysis of the elite field and interviews with participants on Saturday, April 19, at 4 PM ET.

Additional programming will be announced at a later date which extends beyond the elite competition in order to recognize, support and tell the stories of those affected by the tragic events of April 15, 2013.

“We are preparing for an historic weekend both for the City of Boston and for the sport of running,” said Tom Grilk, Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) Executive Director.  “The B.A.A., our volunteers and runners from around the world are preparing now for next year’s races, and ‘Boston Strong’ will be on full display throughout Patriots’ Day Weekend and from the start in the Town of Hopkinton to the finish on Boylston Street in Boston’s Back Bay.  Through the expanded coverage offered by Universal Sports, a national audience will be able to watch an important event in the sports world.”

Universal Sports Network is now available on Time Warner Cable, Cox, Verizon FiOS, satellite providers DIRECTV and DISH and numerous regional cable and IPTV operators in markets across the country.

About Universal Sports: Universal Sports Network, a partnership between NBC Sports and InterMedia Partners, LP, is the premier multi-platform media destination for Olympic-related sports programming in the United States.  Offering more than 1,200 hours of original programming each year, Universal Sports has exclusive rights to world and national championship events in a wide array of sports, including swimming, track and field, gymnastics, cycling, skiing, figure skating and rugby. Whether on television, online, or on the go with mobile and tablet applications, Universal Sports offers a four-screen experience to fans of global sports every day of the year. For more information, please visit UniversalSports.com.

About the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.): Established in 1897, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of managing athletic events and promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A.’s Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon, and the organization manages other local events and supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year round running programs. Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been John Hancock Financial. The Boston Marathon is part of the World Marathon Majors, along with the international marathons in Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. The 118th Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 21, 2014. Nearly 50,000 runners will participate in B.A.A. events in 2013.