marathon

¹ American  

[mar-uh-thon, -thuhn] / ˈmær əˌθɒn, -θən /

noun

1. a footrace or wheelchair race over a course measuring 26 miles 385 yards (42 kilometers 195 meters).

2. any long-distance race.

3. any contest, event, or the like, of great, or greater than normal, length or duration or requiring exceptional endurance.

   a dance marathon;

   a sales marathon.

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Marathon ² American  

[mar-uh-thon] / ˈmær əˌθɒn /

noun

1. a plain in SE Greece, in Attica: the Athenians defeated the Persians here 490 b.c.

2. an ancient village that is near this plain.

3. Classical Mythology. a son of Epopeus and the father of Corinthus.

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marathon ¹ British  

/ ˈmærəθən /

noun

1. a race on foot of 26 miles 385 yards (42.195 kilometres): an event in the modern Olympics

2. 1. any long or arduous task, assignment, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a marathon effort

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Marathon ² British  

/ ˈmærəθən /

noun

1. a plain in Attica northeast of Athens: site of a victory of the Athenians and Plataeans over the Persians (490 _bc )

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Usage

What does marathon mean? A marathon is a 26.22-mile (42.2-kilometer) long-distance race. Technically, the exact length of a marathon is 26 miles 385 yards (42 kilometers 195 meters). But the length is mostly commonly stated as 26.2 miles.Marathons are most commonly running races, but some people complete marathons in wheelchairs. Marathon courses are typically on roadways, often those in or around a city.The marathon is an event in the Summer Olympic Games. Major marathons are also held internationally in many major cities. Prominent events include the Boston Marathon, the New York Marathon, and the London Marathon.A marathon runner can be called a marathoner.A running race of 13.1 miles is known as a half-marathon. The term ultramarathon refers to a race of 50 miles or more.The word marathon is also often used in a more general way to refer to a contest or event that takes a particularly long time and requires endurance, such as a dance marathon. A movie marathon involves several movies played consecutively. Sometimes, the word is used in a more figurative way to refer to a task or undertaking that takes a long time and requires patience, as in Be patient—learning karate is a marathon, not a sprint.Example: I’ve always wanted to run a marathon, so I started training today.

Etymology

Origin of marathon

First recorded in 1895–1900; allusion to Pheidippides' 26-mile (42-kilometer) run from Marathon to Athens to carry news of the Greek victory over the Persians in 490 b.c.

Example Sentences

With her subsequent success in 2024, the Ethiopia-born athlete became the first woman to win Olympic golds over 5,000m, 10,000m and the marathon.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

There are the guides that suggest one task a day for 30 days; the ones that stretch the process across four weekends; the ones that amount to a 16-hour cleaning marathon.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

To make his end-of-February deal marathon more entertaining, Mikula pulled up a bingo card with self-imposed challenges in each space like calling 50 dealerships for quotes on one car.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

That means that while small-caps have had a good run of late, investors shouldn’t count on a marathon: “History clearly shows that positive relative returns in this space are streaky, not structural,” Colas concludes.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

The Illinois senate was hung up in a marathon debate, trying to settle on the provisions of a major crime bill.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama