Taper week (T-72 to T-24 hours)
Top off fluid, electrolytes and B vitamins before carb-loading week dehydrates you. Runners tell us they sleep better and cramp less on race morning.
Boston Marathon
Hydration and recovery for Boston Marathon runners — from a nurse who has run it four times.
Courtney Jones, RN founded IV League Hydration in South Boston in 2018, and Marathon Monday is still her favorite day of the year. Every April her team hydrates the runners heading to Hopkinton and puts them back together on Boylston Street. The most requested bag on both ends? The Gym Bag.
26.2, on both sides of the line
Our runners, our founder, our favorite week of the year
Most popular with runners
The Gym Bag — $239
Our performance and recovery drip, and the bag Boston Marathon runners ask for by name before and after race day.
What's in the bag
- B complex
- Mineral blend
- Amino blend
- Vitamin C
Mixed into a liter of Lactated Ringer's — a balanced fluid with sodium, potassium, calcium and lactate, which is closer to what you sweat out over 26.2 miles than plain saline. The mineral blend covers magnesium and the electrolytes that drive cramping; the amino blend supports muscle repair; B complex and vitamin C handle the energy metabolism and oxidative load of a hard race.
Nurse's note: glutathione is always given as a separate push rather than mixed in — it loses its potency when combined with vitamin C in the bag.
Race day recovery
Post-finish is our busiest window all year. A liter of Lactated Ringer's plus minerals takes the edge off the headache, the cramping, and the next-day stairs.
Add-ons runners ask for
Toradol for soreness, Zofran if your stomach turned at mile 20, a B12 shot for the flight home, and Fire & Ice or the oxygen bar to round out recovery.
Marathon weekend logistics
Come to us, or we come to you
A Street, South Boston
Minutes from the Seaport and a short ride from the Boylston Street finish.
A Street details →L Street, South Boston
Recliners, compression boots, cold plunge and the oxygen bar for full race recovery.
L Street details →Mobile IV to your hotel
Our nurses come to hotels and homes across Greater Boston — solo runners or whole run clubs and charity teams.
Mobile IV therapy →Running with a team? Our group and event service covers charity teams and run clubs on Patriots' Day weekend. Call 1-800-905-4252 to hold a block of times.
FAQ
Boston Marathon IV therapy — runner questions
What is the best IV for a marathon runner?
The Gym Bag is our most popular drip for Boston Marathon runners. It pairs Lactated Ringer's with B complex, a mineral blend, an amino blend, and vitamin C to top off hydration, electrolytes, and the amino acids that support muscle repair.
When should I get an IV before the Boston Marathon?
Most runners book 24–72 hours before race day so hydration and electrolytes are fully on board without the pre-race jitters. Carb-load week appointments fill fast during Marathon Monday weekend, so book early.
Should I get an IV after the marathon?
Yes — post-race is our busiest window. A recovery drip after the finish line helps replace the fluid and electrolytes lost over 26.2 miles and eases the cramping, headache, and heaviness runners feel that night and the next day.
Where can I get IV therapy near the Boston Marathon finish line?
We have two South Boston clinics — A Street and L Street — a short ride from Boylston Street, plus mobile IV therapy that comes to your hotel or apartment across Greater Boston.
Do you come to my hotel on Marathon Monday?
We do. Our nurses run mobile IV visits to Boston hotels, Airbnbs, and homes for individual runners and whole run clubs. Group and team bookings should be reserved well in advance of Patriots' Day.
Who places the IV?
Always a licensed registered nurse, working under our Nurse Practitioner Medical Director. Every runner is screened before treatment — heart, kidney, and liver history matters when you are receiving a full liter of fluid.
Still have questions? Book in under a minute and ask your nurse →
See you on Marathon Monday
Book your pre-race or recovery drip with a nurse who has been on your side of the starting line four times.