# marathon

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈmæɹəθən/ · frequency rank #5,520

## Definitions
1. A 42.195-kilometre (26-mile-385-yard) road race.
2. Any extended or sustained activity.

## Etymology
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.

## Easily confused with
- **Marston** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/marathon-vs-marston)
- **Marathi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/marathi-vs-marathon)

## Common misspellings (12)
`amrathon`, `maarthon`, `marahton`, `marathhon`, `marathno`, `marathonn`, `maratohn`, `maratthon`, `marrathon`, `martahon`, `mmarathon`, `mraathon`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/marathon