Choosing between Edinburgh 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 | Edinburgh Marathon | Osaka Marathon |
|---|---|---|
| Next race | Sunday, 30 May 2027 at 10:00 am | Sunday, 28 February 2027 at 9:15 am |
| Elevation | Hilly with notable climbs - approx. 66m above sea level. ↑ 120 m · ↓ 120 m · net 0 m | Mostly flat with gentle undulations - approx. 4m above sea level. ↑ 21 m · ↓ 21 m · net 0 m |
| Typical weather | Cool to mild and humid spring | Cool and humid winter |
| Typical participants | Approximately 30k finishers | Approximately 32k finishers |
| Entry difficulty | Very competitive | Competitive |
The Edinburgh Marathon is one of the world's largest marathons, drawing approximately 30k finishers on an urban road in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. The course starts in Edinburgh and finishes in Musselburgh on the coast — point-to-point. Hilly only in the first few miles leaving Edinburgh.
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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