marathon

noun

mar·​a·​thon ˈmer-ə-ˌthän How to pronounce marathon (audio)
ˈma-rə-
Synonyms of marathonnext
often attributive
1
: a footrace run on an open course usually of 26 miles 385 yards (42.2 kilometers)
broadly : a long-distance race
2
a
: an endurance contest
b
: something (such as an event, activity, or session) characterized by great length or concentrated effort

Examples of marathon in a Sentence

We watched a marathon of our favorite movies.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Holiday gatherings are often marathons, and not everybody has it in them to keep their conversational wheels a’turnin for hours on end. — Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026 There are few occasions that garner such good-willed camaraderie in New York City as the annual marathon, though the Knicks historic win this summer brought people out into the streets in rivaling numbers. — Alexandra Hildreth, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026 Her work at Nike included the Kith x Nike pop-up, openings of the company’s SoHo and House of Innovation stores, marathon activations and Nike’s first NIL program, Blue Ribbon Elite. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026 Special Season 1 marathon screenings will celebrate the one-year anniversary of the smash sports romance series that set HBO Max ablaze last November. — Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for marathon

Word History

Etymology

Marathon, Greece, site of a victory of Greeks over Persians in 490 b.c., the news of which was carried to Athens by a long-distance runner

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of marathon was in 1896

Phrases Containing marathon

Rhymes for marathon

See All Rhymes for marathon

Browse Nearby Words

Marathi
marathon
Marathon
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Marathon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marathon. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

marathon

noun
mar·​a·​thon ˈmar-ə-ˌthän How to pronounce marathon (audio)
1
a
: a long-distance footrace of 26 miles 385 yards (42.2 kilometers) that is run on an open course
b
: a race other than a footrace (as for swimmers) marked especially by great distance
2
: a long hard contest
a dance marathon
marathon adjective
Etymology

named for Marathon, site of a battlefield in ancient Greece

Word Origin
Marathon is the name of a plain in Greece located about 26 miles (42 kilometers) from the city of Athens. It was the scene of a great victory by the Greeks over the Persians in 490 b.c. According to legend a Greek soldier named Pheidipiddes ran all the way from the battlefield to Athens to deliver the news. He reached the city, gasped out his message, and fell dead. When the modern Olympic Games began in 1896, one of the events was a footrace of 26 miles 385 yards (42.2 kilometers), called a marathon, in honor of the legendary run by Pheidipiddes.

Geographical Definition

Marathon

geographical name

Mar·​a·​thon ˈmer-ə-ˌthän How to pronounce Marathon (audio)
ˈma-rə-
1
plain of eastern Greece in Attica northeast of Athens on the Aegean Sea
2
ancient town on the plain of Marathon

More from Merriam-Webster on marathon

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for marathon

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about marathon

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All