Spanish word

maratón

Pronunciation

IPA/maɾaˈton/

Meaning

  • masculine nounmarathon

Example

¿Vas a correr el maratón este año?

Are you going to run the marathon this year?

Illustration for maratón (marathon)

More examples

Anoche hice un maratón de mi serie favorita.

Last night I binge-watched my favorite series.

Core concept

A prolonged, nonstop stretch of an activity modeled on running a marathon.

Common phrases

  • correr un maratón

    run a marathon

  • inscribirse en el maratón

    sign up for the marathon

  • prepararse para el maratón

    train for the marathon

Similar words

carrera: Speed contest in which participants race to finish first, by foot or vehicle.
media maratón: Road running event of about 21.097 km, raced as a single continuous distance.
carrera popular: Community road race open to the public, often held for charity or fun.
competición: Formal sporting contest carried out to decide a victor or ranking.

Definition in Spanish

Prueba deportiva de fondo que exige correr la distancia oficial de maratón (42 km y 195 m); también, cualquier tarea o evento llevado a cabo sin pausas durante mucho tiempo.

Word origin

Derived from the toponym Marathon in Greece, adopted in the 19th-century revival of the race and subsequently used in Spanish both for the athletic event and as a metaphor for extended effort.

Usage tips

  • For the literal race say 'correr un maratón' or 'participar en el maratón', and for the metaphor specify the activity with 'hacer un maratón de + [actividad]'.

Opposites

  • esprintsprintnoun
  • mediofondomiddle-distance racenoun

Related words

  • maratonistamarathon runnernoun
  • maratonianomarathon-relatedadjective

Word lists with this word