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.
New York and Tokyo sit at very different points on the difficulty scale. New York's 275m of elevation gain across five boroughs and several bridges is among the toughest profiles of any Major, while Tokyo's course, despite similar total climbing, carries a much larger net descent (250m), making for a faster average finish (2:02:16 course record against New York's 2:04:58).
Both are enormous, ballot-entry races — New York regularly finishes more than 59,000 runners, Tokyo closer to 39,000 — and both are built around genuine city landmarks rather than a purpose-built fast loop. Pick New York for the five-borough spectacle and crowd noise; pick Tokyo for a faster net-downhill course and an early-March slot on the calendar.