Main Entry:

mar·a·thon

Pronunciation:

\ˈmer-ə-ˌthän, ˈma-rə-\

Function:

noun

Usage:

often attributive

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

Date:

1896

1: a long-distance race: a: a footrace run on an open course usually of 26 miles 385 yards (42.2 kilometers) b: a race other than a footrace marked especially by great length 2 a: an endurance contest b: something (as an event, activity, or session) characterized by great length or concentrated effort