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