marathoner

[mar-uh-thon-er, -thuh-ner]

noun

1. a runner who competes in a marathon.

marathoner

/ ˈmærəθənə /

noun

1. a person who runs in a marathon

Word History and Origins

Origin of marathoner¹

First recorded in 1920–25; marathon + -er ¹

Example Sentences

For some athletes the turning point in pulling back was the pandemic, said American marathoner and world qualifier Reed Fischer, as they embraced wearable tech that measures the body’s operations in detail.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

These eco-conscious marathoners wanted more than water savings when they tore out their sickly lawn in Long Beach.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He was a mechanical engineer by training and a marathoner for fun, a guy who maintained complicated systems at work and a meticulously organized garage at his Westlake Village home.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Twenty years ago, “functional beverages” meant protein shakes and sports drinks, stuff designed for bodybuilders and marathoners.

Read more on Salon

Even with the cardiovascular benefits of altitude, it becomes difficult to run fast there, with marathoners typically running 10 to 15 seconds a mile slower in the thin air than at sea level.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• contestant 
• entrant 
• hurdler www.thesaurus.com
• racer 
• sprinter www.thesaurus.com

When To Use

What is a marathoner?

A marathoner is someone who competes in or completes a marathon, a 26.22-mile (42.2-kilometer) long-distance race.Marathons are most commonly running races, and marathoners are perhaps most commonly called marathon runners. But some marathoners complete marathons in wheelchairs.The word marathoner can be applied to any participant in a marathon but is especially used to refer to a person who regularly competes in marathons.The term ultramarathon refers to a race of 50 miles or more, and the superhumans who compete in these can be called ultramarathoners.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, or in a more figurative way to refer to a task or undertaking that takes a long time and requires patience. But the word marathoner isn’t commonly used in these contexts—it’s typically reserved for a racer in a literal marathon.Example: I’ve always wanted to run a marathon, so I started training as a marathoner today.