The 122nd Boston Marathon, the oldest annual marathon in the world, takes place on April 16, 2018. This Landsat 8 image shows the April landscape of eastern Massachusetts, before vegetation has greened up. The yellow line indicates the point-to-point route that the marathon follows.

The large urban area of Boston is on the right. Bright spots are other neighborhoods, towns, and cities.

About 30,000 runners will begin the 26.2-mile race in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. The route takes them eastward through eight towns and cities, through suburban Boston, and finally to downtown Boston and the finish line near Old South Church on Boylston Street.