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.

---

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.

---

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

---

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 )

---

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

She said the plasterer, from Bolton, Greater Manchester, was due to climb Yr Wyddfa twice in one day as part of his training for an ultra marathon the following weekend.

From BBC

Fans believe that all this activity points to Styles gearing up to announce his fourth album, after a brief detour into marathon running last year.

From BBC

While park runs, trail runs and marathons boom in popularity among the masses, cross-country appetite from the general public is almost entirely absent, likely influenced by those negative schoolday connotations.

From BBC

He recalls that more than 20 years ago he spent months training to run a marathon only to quit before entering a race.

From The Wall Street Journal

The 28-year-old British champion jockey took up the lead well before the halfway mark on the 5/1 chance of the 5800 metres marathon and dominated the contest from then on.

From Barron's