Meaning & use
marathon
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Meanings
nouncountable
A running race over a distance of about 26.2 miles (42.2 kilometers).
Grammar: Countable; can be used with 'a' or in the plural.
Patterns
- run a marathon
- a marathon race
She trained for months to run her first marathon.
The Boston Marathon attracts thousands of runners each year.
He finished the marathon in just under four hours.
nouncountablefigurative
Any long, difficult activity that requires great effort and endurance.
Grammar: Often used figuratively, especially in phrases like 'a marathon meeting'.
Patterns
- a marathon of something
- a marathon meeting
The negotiations turned into a marathon lasting all night.
We had a marathon study session before the exam.
Cleaning the whole house was a real marathon.
Word forms
| plural | marathons |
|---|
Common combinations
- run a marathon
- He plans to run a marathon next spring.
- marathon runner
- The marathon runner crossed the finish line exhausted.
- marathon session
- The committee held a marathon session to finalize the budget.
- half marathon
- She signed up for a half marathon in October.
Synonyms and how they differ
- race
- A general term for any running competition; 'marathon' specifically refers to the 26.2-mile distance.
- endurance test
- Used for the figurative sense; it emphasizes the difficulty and length rather than a physical race.
Word family
- marathoner noun
- A person who runs marathons.
Commonly confused: marathon or Marathon?
marathon vs Marathon
The proper noun refers to the town in Greece or the battle there; the common noun is the race.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'marathon' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Marathon' can mean a long, difficult activity, so a ten-hour meeting fits. A 5K is too short to be a marathon, and 'marathon' is not used as a verb in standard English.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “marathon”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.