[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/marathon/)

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# marathon

noun (a marathon, marathons); adjective (marathon)

«marathon» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A running race of about 42 kilometres (26.2 miles). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/marathon/#m1)
2. Any very long activity or event that needs lots of energy: a homework marathon. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/marathon/#m2)
3. (adjective) Very long: a marathon meeting. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/marathon/#m3)
4. Marathon is also a town in Greece, famous for an ancient battle and a legendary bull. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/marathon/#m4)

### In the lessons

In PE and sport, a marathon is the long-distance road race; a half marathon is half that distance. In everyday talk «marathon» means anything that goes on for a long time: «a TV marathon», «a marathon shopping trip». In maths problems the distance may be given: a marathon is 42.195 km. Phrases: run a marathon, half marathon, a marathon session.

### Examples

- My aunt ran the London Marathon for charity. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/marathon/#x1)
- A marathon is about 42 kilometres long. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/marathon/#x2)
- We watched a film marathon all afternoon. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/marathon/#x3)
- The meeting turned into a marathon. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/marathon/#x4)
- She is training for a half marathon. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/marathon/#x5)
- Running a marathon takes months of training. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/marathon/#x6)
- Packing for the trip was a real marathon. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/marathon/#x7)
- Thousands of runners took part in the marathon. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/marathon/#x8)
- He accordingly decided to rid the country of the famous bull of Marathon, which had become a terror to the cultivators of the land. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/marathon/#x9)

### Note

Countable: marathons. In maths: marathon = 42.195 km (26 miles 385 yards); half marathon is about 21.1 km. Myth note: the name comes from an old Greek story about a runner from Marathon to Athens. Capital M in race names: the Boston Marathon.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «marathon» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/marathon/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«marathon» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/marathon.html) on Mova free.