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 well-regarded Asian marathons outside the Majors circuit. Osaka is the flatter and faster of the two on paper (145m of gain, 2:05:20 course record) against Hong Kong's hillier point-to-point route (254m of gain, 2:09:20 course record), a gap that reflects genuine terrain difference rather than field depth alone.
Hong Kong runs in January, Osaka later in the year, giving them different roles on a season plan — Hong Kong as an early target, Osaka better suited to a spring or autumn buildup depending on the exact date that year. For pure speed, Osaka's flatter profile has the edge; for a tougher early-season test, Hong Kong is the pick.