Choosing between Edinburgh Marathon and Zhengzhou 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 | Zhengzhou Marathon |
|---|---|---|
| Next race | Sunday, 30 May 2027 at 10:00 am | Sunday, 18 October 2026 at 7:00 am |
| Elevation | Hilly with notable climbs - approx. 66m above sea level. ↑ 120 m · ↓ 120 m · net 0 m | Very flat - approx. 104m above sea level. ↑ 50 m · ↓ 50 m · net 0 m |
| Typical weather | Cool to mild and humid spring | Mild autumn |
| Typical participants | Approximately 30k finishers | Approximately 36k 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 Zhengzhou Marathon attracts approximately 36k finishers each October through Henan province's transport hub on the Yellow River. The course links the Zhengdong New Area CBD towers, Erqi Memorial Tower, and the Songshan foothills approach on wide Henan boulevards. October's mild central-China weather and a largely flat profile make it one of the country's fastest major mass-participation marathons.
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