Is there any difference between PAL and NTSC in this game?

yes

Just gonna list some stuff that's relevant to speedrunning:

• PAL runs at 25 FPS
• Crash's base movement speed has been increased, but don't be fooled into thinking this makes PAL faster than NTSC. His jump height has also been increased, which makes some 100% skips easier, but not necessarily faster.
• The zigzag generally just isn't as good as on NTSC. Most PAL runners don't even zigzag at all, but you can do a bit of it if you do it well. It's not as fast as NTSC, though.
• Things like bosses, transitions like going between islands, and cycles are all slower.

tl:dr PAL Crash 1 is garbage and NTSC is the way to go if you wanna do speedruns.

And for the other version:

NTSC-J.

• Green Gem is in Hog Wild
• Sunset Vista and Slippery Climb are switched on the map
• Box Count. 50 Missed = 1 Box only
• The High Road is shorter