n.
Pronunciation: ' mer- ə - ˌ thän, ' ma-r ə -
Function: noun
Usage: often attrib
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