plural marathons
1
: a running race that is about 26 miles (42 kilometers) long
He ran (in) a marathon.
2
a
: something (such as an event or activity) that lasts an extremely long time or that requires great effort
We watched a marathon of our favorite movies.
a movie marathon
a shopping marathon
b
: a contest in which people compete with each other to see who can do something for the longest amount of time
a dance marathon
always used before a noun
: lasting an unusually long time
Their marathon meeting lasted two full days.
a marathon negotiating session
Cite this Entry
“Marathon.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/marathon. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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