Women's Sports Have a Home in Boston.

261 at Para Maria is a seasonal women's sports pop-up named after bib #261, worn by Kathrine Switzer in 1967 when she became the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon. Now through October 2026, it is the city's dedicated destination for watching the Boston Legacy, the Boston Fleet, and the Women's March Madness Final Four.

Named for a Number That Changed Everything

In 1967, race official Jock Semple tried to rip Kathrine Switzer's bib off her body mid-race. She finished anyway. Bib #261 became a symbol of what women in sports have always faced and always overcome.
In 2025, Boston's NWSL expansion team, the Boston Legacy, is playing its first-ever season. The PWHL's Boston Fleet is building toward a championship run. Women's college basketball is drawing the largest television audiences in the sport's history. This is not a moment to watch from the sidelines.
261 at Para Maria is Boston's answer. Chef Tatiana Rosana built a menu of globally inspired comfort food to match the energy of every match. The Boston Globe's photography exhibit documents the moments in women's sports that made Boston who she is. And the schedule runs from the PWHL to March Madness to the Boston Marathon and through the full NWSL spring season.

“She ran anyway. Bib 261 crossed the finish line and nothing in women's sports was ever quite the same.”
Kathrine Switzer · Boston Marathon 1967

Boston Globe's Photography Exhibit

The Boston Globe's photography exhibit runs throughout the residency, documenting defining moments in Boston women's sports history alongside Para Maria's watch party atmosphere.

Aly Raisman

07/21/15: Burlington, MA: Aly Raisman is pictured as she trains at Brestyan's Gym in Burlington. She hopes to make the 2016 Olympic Gymnastics team. (Globe Staff Photo/Jim Davis)

Head of the Charles Regatta

October 18 1987 / from the archive / Globe Staff photo by John Blanding / The Connecticut College Women's Elite Eight-Oared Shells (bottom) collided with the University of Michigan just past the Larz Anderson Bridge during the Head of the Charles Regatta.

Aerin Frankel at the PWHL Finals

Lowell, MA - 5/29/2024 - 30PWHL Boston-Minnesota - (1st period) - Boston goalie Aerin Frankel (31) makes a save on a shot during the first period. The PWHL Boston host PWHL Minnesota in Game 5 of the PWHL Finals at Tsongas Arena. (Photo by: Barry Chin/Globe Staff)

Gabby Thomas

Brighton MA 2/1/24 Gabby Thomas crossing the finish line winning the 300 Meter Dash in front of Favour Ofili from Nigeria during the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix track meet at the New Balance Indoor Track. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff.

Key Stats

18.9M viewers for Women's March Madness Final Four (2024) — an all-time record

2025: The Boston Legacy's debut NWSL season — Boston's first women's pro soccer team

Boston Globe Exhibit

The Boston Globe's photography exhibit documents key moments in women's sports history, displayed throughout Para Maria for the full duration of the 261 residency.
From Kathrine Switzer's finish in 1967 to the founding of the Boston Fleet in 2025, the exhibition traces how Boston women have competed, pushed back, and won. Come for the match. Stay for the story.
On display: Now through October 2026. Free to view during all Para Maria operating hours.

The 261 Menu

Para Maria's globally inspired comfort food by Chef Tatiana Rosana was built for watching sport. These are the standout dishes from the 261 watch party menu.
Reserve a table for any game on the 261 schedule. Walk-ins welcome but seating is limited for marquee matches.