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	11:58 a.m.	Lead wheelchairs are in Ashland
	The elite runners are limbering up and nervously keeping warm in their coral at the start of the column of almost 13,000 runners. Among them are defending champions Moses Tanui of Kenya and Fatuma Roba of Ethiopia.
	11:52 a.m.	Lead wheelchairs are in Ashland
	Saul Mendoza is the early leader in the wheelchair race.
	11:47 a.m.	Lead wheelchairs are in Hopkinton
	The wheelchairs started without incident. The elite runners are now warming up at the starting line. Africans are favored in both the men's and women's races. Kenyans have won nine men's races in a row; Fatuma Roba of Ethiopia will be going for her third title in a row.
	11:45 a.m.	Wheelchairs have started
	The wheelchair racers are off! They are being paced down the steep hill at the start to avoid accidents.
	11:35 a.m.	10 minutes to wheelchair start
	The eight handcyclists are now on the course. The wheelchair start is minutes away.
	11:30 a.m.	15 minutes to wheelchair start
	The wheelchair athletes are in position on the starting line, awaiting their start in a few minutes This year's women's race will again feature a dual between Louise Sauvage, winner of the last two races, and seven-time winner Jean Driscoll. Last year Sauvage won in the closest finish ever in any division. This year's men's race is expected to be a battle between Franz Nietlispach of Switzerland, who has won two straight, and last year's second- and third-place finishers Kriege Schabort and Saul Mendoza.
	11:15 a.m.	30 minutes to wheelchair start
	In Hopkinton runners are streaming toward the starting line from the Runners' Village, a distance of about three quarters of a mile. They will be corralled in groups, by bib number, along West Main Street. Wheelchair and handcycle athletes will be in front (they leave 15 minutes before the runners) with the elite runners immediately behind.
	11:10 a.m.	50 minutes until runners start
	The BAA reports that in addition to the 12,797 runners, there will be 70 wheelchair racers and 8 handcyclists. The handcycle race is an exhibition.
	11:00 a.m.	One hour to race time.
	With an hour to go more and more runners are collecting near the starting line. The weather is good for spectators, many of whom are in shirtsleeves despite temperatures in the 50s. By the end of the race, forecasters are saying temperatures should be in the 60s, warmer than many runners find ideal. In addition, a brisk sea breeze will be in the runners' faces the closer they are to Boston. However, the weather won't be the factor is has been in the past -- notably in 1987, when the temperature was in the mid 80s and the humidity was more than 95 percent. The hottest race day in recent history was in 1976, when the temperature along the course was reported to be 96.
	10:40 a.m.	Runners start at noon; wheelchairs at 11:45 a.m.
	All four 1998 champions are returning to defend their titles. Moses Tanui of Kenya will be going for his second straight men's open title. Fatuma Roba of Ethiopia will be going her their third straight women's open crown. Roba is considered the favorite among the women, while Tanui is expected to have a tough battle with several of his countrymen. Kenyans have won the men's open race nine years in a row. Also returning are wheelchair winners Franz Nietlispach and Louise Sauvage.
	10:30 a.m.	Runners start at noon; wheelchairs at 11:45 a.m.
	Crowds are growing on the race route, particularly in prime viewing spots in towns along the first half of the course -- Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick and Wellesley. Crowds are also reported heavy in Newton and Brookline. Police say more than a million spectators will watch the race, making it New England's biggest one-day sporting event.
	10:20 a.m.	Runners start at noon; wheelchairs at 11:45 a.m.
	The normally sleepy town of Hopkinton has more than doubled in population this morning. The local high school has been turned into a Runners' Village; the Town Common has become a fairground, complete with live music, clowns, food stalls and armies of sweatsuit-clad runners and orange-jacketed race officials.
	10:10 a.m.	Runners start at noon; wheelchairs at 11:45 a.m.
	The total prize money being distributed to today's winners is $525,000, second only to the $600,000 prize purse for the centennial race. First place for both men and women will be worth $80,000. Wheelchair winners and winners of the masters divisions will get $10,000 each.
	10:05 a.m.	Runners start at noon; wheelchairs at 11:45 a.m.
	The weather is great for spectators, pretty good for runners. Temperatures are in the low 60s. Forecasters say there will be a bit of a wind off the water as the competitors approach Boston.
	10 a.m.	Runners start at noon; wheelchairs at 11:45 a.m.
	Out in Hopkinton, where the Boston Marathon starts, runners by the thousands are stretching, warming up, or just resting in the hour before the starting gun sounds. This year's official field of 12,775 is the second largest ever, behind only the 38,708 who ran in the centennial race in 1996.