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Compare London MarathonvsZhengzhou Marathon

Choosing between London 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.

At a glance

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

DetailLondon MarathonZhengzhou Marathon
Next raceSaturday, 24 April 2027 at 9:30 amSunday, 18 October 2026 at 7:00 am
ElevationFlat with minor bridges - approx. 25m above sea level. ↑ 127 m · ↓ 161 m · net −34 mVery flat - approx. 104m above sea level. ↑ 50 m · ↓ 50 m · net 0 m
Typical weatherCool to mild spring conditionsMild autumn
Typical participantsApproximately 57k finishersApproximately 36k 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

Zhengzhou Marathon

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.

Read the full Zhengzhou Marathon profile

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