marathon
/ˈmærəθɒn/noun
1- a long-distance running race, strictly one of 26 miles 385 yards (42.195 km)马拉松赛跑。
1.1
- usu. with modifier a long-lasting or difficult task or operation of a specified kind马拉松式的任务（或行动）：
the last leg of an interview marathon which began this summer.
始于今夏的马拉松式采访的最后阶段。
1.2
- as modifier of great duration or distance; very long马拉松式的, 历时长久（或长距离）的：
embarking on a marathon UK tour.
开始一次漫长的英国之旅。
派生词
marathoner
noun词源
late 19th cent.: from Marathōn in Greece, the scene of a victory over the Persians in 490 BC; the modern race is based on the tradition that a messenger ran from Marathon to Athens (22 miles) with the news. The original account by Herodotus told of the messenger Pheidippides running 150 miles from Athens to Sparta before the battle, seeking help.