# marathon

/ˈmɛɹəˌθɑn/ (US) · /mˈæɹəθən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/marathon
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. running race

noun · CEFR B1

a long-distance running race that is exactly 42.195 kilometres (about 26 miles) long.

For teachers: a long-distance road race with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres.

- She trained for six months before she finally ran her first marathon.
- Elite runners from across the globe gathered for the Boston Marathon, hoping to break the course record under ideal weather conditions.

### 2. long activity

noun · CEFR B2

any activity that lasts a long time and needs a lot of energy or patience.

For teachers: any contest, event, or task that is notably long in duration and requires exceptional endurance.

- The final negotiation was a ten-hour marathon that left everyone exhausted.
- The coding session turned into a forty-eight-hour marathon as the developers scrambled to patch the security vulnerability before the product launch.

### 3. watching media

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal

to watch many episodes of a TV show or several movies in a row.

For teachers: to consume a large volume of media content, such as a television series or film franchise, in a single continuous session.

- We decided to marathon the entire trilogy on Saturday afternoon.
- During the holiday break, they opted to marathon the complete series, finishing all five seasons in less than a week.

Usage: Often used transitively with a TV show or film series as the direct object.

## Examples

- She is training hard for her first marathon.
- The negotiation turned into a twelve-hour marathon that left both sides completely exhausted by midnight.
- Completing a marathon requires not only physical stamina but also the psychological fortitude to maintain a steady pace when the body begins to fail around the thirty-kilometre mark.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.