Choosing between Boston Marathon and Osaka Marathon? This page puts the essentials side by side — next race date, elevation, typical weather, field size, and entry difficulty — with a short overview of each course below.
The headline differences between both races. Follow each marathon link for the full route map, elevation chart, and entry details.
| Detail | Boston Marathon | Osaka Marathon |
|---|---|---|
| Next race | Monday, 19 April 2027 at 10:00 am | Sunday, 28 February 2027 at 9:15 am |
| Elevation | Net downhill with famous Newton hills - approx. 50m above sea level. ↑ 248 m · ↓ 388 m · net −140 m | Mostly flat with gentle undulations - approx. 4m above sea level. ↑ 21 m · ↓ 21 m · net 0 m |
| Typical weather | Cool to mild; often windy | Cool and humid winter |
| Typical participants | Approximately 26k finishers | Approximately 32k finishers |
| Entry difficulty | Very competitive | Competitive |
The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon and the only major requiring qualification for most runners. Starting in Hopkinton and finishing on Boylston Street, the course features the challenging Heartbreak Hill and legendary New England crowd support. It is the pinnacle race for competitive amateur marathoners.
The Osaka Marathon is one of the world's largest marathons, drawing approximately 32k finishers on an urban road in Osaka, Japan. The course starts and finishes at Osaka Castle Park. The route passes Osaka Castle, Nakanoshima, Umeda, and Namba through central Osaka. Mostly flat with gentle undulations on bridge approaches over the city's rivers.
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