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Added 9 October 2026

marathon

/ˈmæɹəθən/ noun

In Latin: Marathon Coined: 1894, by Michel Br Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about marathon at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Any long and arduous undertaking.
A footrace of 26 miles 385 yards.
A battle in 490 BC in which the Athenians and their allies defeated the Persians.

Origin

From French marathon, coined in 1894 by linguist Michel Bréal for the first modern time Olympic Games after Ancient Greek Μαραθών (Marathṓn), a town northeast of Athens. Phidippides the Greek ran the distance from Marathon to Athens to deliver a message regarding the Battle of Marathon. The modern sport of marathon running is based on a run approximately the same distance. The toponym itself comes from μάραθον (márathon, “fennel”) and refers to the prevalence of the plant in the area.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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