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.
Two of the British Isles' biggest marathons, though at very different scales. London is a World Marathon Major with a near-60,000 field, a ballot, and one of the fastest courses in the sport (1:59:30 course record). Dublin is considerably smaller (around 18,500 finishers), hillier (216m of gain against London's 85m), and non-Major, but still draws a serious international field via its own ballot.
Dublin runs in late October, well clear of London's late-April date, so both are realistic targets in the same year for anyone chasing multiple marathons. For the fastest course and biggest occasion, London is the clear choice; for a smaller, hillier, famously friendly Irish marathon, Dublin is a strong alternative.