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Compare London MarathonvsOsaka Marathon

Choosing between London 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.

At a glance

The headline differences between both races. Follow each marathon link for the full route map, elevation chart, and entry details.

DetailLondon MarathonOsaka Marathon
Next raceSunday, 25 April 2027 at 9:30 amSunday, 28 February 2027 at 9:15 am
ElevationFlat with minor bridges - approx. 25m above sea level. ↑ 127 m · ↓ 161 m · net −34 mMostly flat with gentle undulations - approx. 4m above sea level. ↑ 21 m · ↓ 21 m · net 0 m
Typical weatherCool to mild spring conditionsCool and humid winter
Typical participantsApproximately 57k finishersApproximately 32k finishers
Entry difficultyVery competitiveCompetitive

About these races

London Marathon

The TCS London Marathon is one of the world's most popular races, famous for its incredible charity fundraising and electric atmosphere. The fast course passes Tower Bridge, the Cutty Sark, Canary Wharf, and finishes on The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace. With gentle undulations and around 127 metres of total climbing, it consistently produces fast times — including Sabastian Sawe's 1:59:30 men's world record and Tigst Assefa's 2:15:41 women's-only world record, both set at the 2026 race.

Read the full London Marathon profile

Osaka Marathon

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.

Read the full Osaka Marathon profile

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