Two of the fastest marathon courses on earth, two very different races. Here's every stat, side by side, to help you pick.
Indicative — based on GPX data. Both courses normalised to start at 0m.
✓ marks the better number on that stat.
Chicago and Tokyo are both firmly in the fast tier of Majors, but they get there by different means. Chicago is genuinely flat (45m of gain, minimal net drop) and holds the outright men's and women's world records. Tokyo is flatter on paper in terms of net elevation change but carries a much bigger net descent (250m), a course shape that can flatter a well-paced back half.
Scheduling puts them roughly six months apart — Tokyo in early March, Chicago in early October — making them a realistic pair to target in the same year. If the absolute fastest course on the calendar is the aim, Chicago's world-record pedigree is hard to argue with; if you want a downhill-assisted course through an entirely different city and culture, Tokyo is the one.