Are you ready to watch the Boston Marathon online? Ready or not, 20,000 runners are about to take on the 125th edition of the race. It may not be held on Patriot's Day this year, but there's no reason why runners can't get excited about the 26.2-mile race that will take runners from Hopkinton to Boylston Street.

The race has been long awaited by some runners since last year's Boston Marathon was cancelled due to a coronavirus outbreak. Runners who were guaranteed a slot had to re-enter the race, which is held in smaller numbers than in previous years, due to the social distance. For those who do not live near Boston, or who prefer to avoid the crowds and cheer from their couches this year, here are some ways to watch the 2021 Boston Marathon.

From an elite perspective, it looks to be an exciting race with both the men's and women's Boston champions returning for the first time in the fall. On the men's side, past winners Relisa Desisa, Remi Berhanu, Jeffrey Kirui, and Yuki Kawauchi will be at the starting line.

The women's field will include Caroline Rotich, Atded Beisa, Edna Kiplagat, and Des Linden. American runners Jordan Hasay and Molly Huddle will also join the list of Boston Marathon winners, racing in front of their home crowd.

The large turnout makes it more difficult than ever to get onto the course. Runners had to re-apply, and inevitably some were dropped from the 2021 race. Here are some of the best ways to track Boston Marathon runners.

Boston Marathon fans should be aware that they will need to set their alarms earlier than Patriots Day. This year's Boston Marathon schedule is as follows (all times are EST):

8:02 a.m. - Men's Wheelchair

8:05 a.m. - Women's Wheelchair

8:30 a.m. - Hand Bike and Duo

8:37 a.m. - Pro Men

8:45 a.m. - Pro Women

8:50 a.m. - Para Athletics

9 a.m. - Non-Elite Rolling Start

For those thinking back to the 2018 race, the weather at the Boston Marathon today doesn't look so dramatic You'll be glad to hear that. The temperature at the starting line is a mild 61 degrees and looks to rise to 65 degrees by 11 am. With winds at 9 mph, it's a perfect marathon day.

Live streaming tip:

If you are away from home and cannot watch the Boston Marathon, you can still watch the games. With the best VPNs, you can access the same streaming services that you are already paying for because it looks like you are surfing the net from your hometown.

Here's how easy it is to stream the NFL from anywhere in the world:

1. get a VPN (ExpressVPN is the best choice) 2. connect to the location you want to stream from 3. use your usual streaming service and watch as usual

Exclusive Tom's Guide Discount: If you live in Boston, the easiest way to watch all the action on Monday is to tune in to CBS Boston's WBZ-TV live coverage from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. This is the easiest way to watch the Cut the cord; if WBZ is available, it should be available locally on fuboTV.

Outside of Boston, you can also channel the Boston Marathon on NBC Sports and the NBC Sports app. You can log in to these services with the correct cable provider login.

You can also stream the Boston Marathon on Peacock, which requires a $4.99 monthly subscription. Additionally, if you signed up for FloSports to watch last weekend's London Marathon, you can also stream the Boston Marathon on FloSports.

Even if you are in the UK, you can follow the Boston Marathon live with the best VPN services, such as ExpressVPN.

The easiest way to watch is to use a VPN service to watch live NBC Sports coverage; you can also watch FloSports live streams, but this requires a subscription; according to the FloSports website, plans start at $12.50 per month and you can download the FloSports app on Roku and Apple TV. You can also stream the Boston Marathon on EuroSport 2 at 1:30 p.m. BST.