marathon
noun
mar·a·thon
ˈmer-ə-ˌthän 
ˈma-rə-
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
And, people are even running half marathons in them.
—
Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 30 Oct. 2025
Bonus points from the dance marathon were added to the judges’ scores from the first round to determine a final combined leaderboard of the night.
—Brianne Tracy, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
The Toronto Blue Jays recovered from Monday’s epic 18-inning marathon to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2025
His latest performance also marked one of two of the longest marathons in World Series history at 18-innings.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for marathon
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Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 30 Oct. 2025
Bonus points from the dance marathon were added to the judges’ scores from the first round to determine a final combined leaderboard of the night.
—Brianne Tracy, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
The Toronto Blue Jays recovered from Monday’s epic 18-inning marathon to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2025
His latest performance also marked one of two of the longest marathons in World Series history at 18-innings.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for marathon
Cite this Entry
“Marathon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marathon. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
marathon
noun
mar·a·thon
ˈmar-ə-ˌthän
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
ˈma-rə-
1
plain of eastern Greece in Attica northeast of Athens on the Aegean Sea
2
ancient town on the plain of Marathon
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