Choosing between New York City Marathon and Tokyo 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 | New York City Marathon | Tokyo Marathon |
|---|---|---|
| Next race | Sunday, 1 November 2026 at 9:10 am | Sunday, 7 March 2027 at 9:10 am |
| Elevation | Rolling with bridges - approx. 10m above sea level. ↑ 294 m · ↓ 292 m · net +2 m | Very flat - approx. 44m above sea level. ↑ 60 m · ↓ 98 m · net −38 m |
| Typical weather | Cool to mild autumn | Cool to mild spring |
| Typical participants | Approximately 56k finishers | Approximately 38k finishers |
| Entry difficulty | Very competitive | Very competitive |
The TCS New York City Marathon is the largest marathon in the world, taking runners through all five boroughs — Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan. The course crosses five bridges and finishes in Central Park, delivering an unmatched big-city marathon experience.
The Tokyo Marathon is one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, drawing over 38,000 runners through the heart of Japan's capital. The course showcases iconic landmarks including the Tokyo Station, Imperial Palace, and Ginza district before finishing near Tokyo Station. Known for exceptional organisation and enthusiastic crowd support, it is a bucket-list race for international runners.
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