marathon
marathon — adjective
1. Relating to the long-distance running race of about 42 kilometres that people tr
Relating to the long-distance running race of about 42 kilometres that people train for and run on a marked course.
Liang wore his marathon medal around his neck after finishing the race.
marathon medal — noun-modifier pattern
The marathon route went through several villages before reaching the coast.
Eleni trained for six months to improve her marathon time.
The city closed several roads for the annual marathon event.
Marathon runners need to drink water at every station along the course.
文法句型
marathon + noun
用法筆記
Only used before a noun (attributive position). You cannot say 'The race was marathon' — instead say 'The race was a marathon' or use 'The marathon race...'
常見錯誤
2. Describing an activity, event, or experience that lasts an extremely long time a
Describing an activity, event, or experience that lasts an extremely long time and leaves you exhausted, as if you had just run a full race.
Writing a thesis can feel like a marathon task for many students.
marathon task — figurative use
After a marathon meeting that lasted eight hours, the team finally reached a decision.
Hamza completed a marathon study session before his final exam.
The family endured a marathon flight from Taipei to London with two layovers.
Tara spent a marathon weekend painting every room in her apartment.
- endless
focuses on duration without the same sense of effort
- gruelling
emphasises the difficulty and exhaustion more than the length
- never-ending
more informal, suggests the event seemed to continue forever
文法句型
marathon + noun
用法筆記
Frequently used with nouns describing events or tasks: meeting, session, flight, task, weekend, day, shopping trip. Less common with emotional states or relationships.
常見錯誤
marathon — noun
1. A long-distance foot race with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres (about
A long-distance foot race with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres (about 26 miles and 385 yards), typically run on roads through a city or countryside.
Adaeze ran her first marathon in Berlin and finished in under four hours.
run a marathon — common verb collocation
The Tokyo Marathon attracts runners from more than a hundred countries.
Training for a marathon requires good running shoes and a solid weekly plan.
Ezra has run five marathons and hopes to complete ten before he turns forty.
Volunteers handed out cups of water and pieces of fruit to tired runners.
- race
broader term; any speed competition
- footrace
more formal or technical; any race on foot
- long-distance run
describes the nature without specifying the exact distance
文法句型
run + a/the marathon
marathon + verb (takes place, attracts)
用法筆記
Often capitalised when part of a proper name (the Boston Marathon, the London Marathon). The verb 'run' is the most common collocation, but 'complete' and 'finish' are also used.
常見錯誤
2. Any situation or task that demands long, continuous effort and patience, often f
Any situation or task that demands long, continuous effort and patience, often feeling as though it will never end.
Filing the visa application turned into a marathon of forms and waiting.
a marathon of [noun] — figurative pattern
The wedding planning process was a marathon that tested the couple's patience.
Finding the right apartment became a weekend marathon of open houses and online searches.
The six-hour final exam felt like a marathon, with only one short break.
Niran described the renovation project as a marathon, not a sprint.
- ordeal
emphasises the unpleasant, difficult aspect
- endurance test
focuses on the need to keep going despite difficulty
- long haul
more informal; emphasises the extended duration
- breeze
something very easy and quick
- walk in the park
informal idiom for something effortless
文法句型
a marathon of + noun
be a marathon
用法筆記
Commonly used in the pattern 'a marathon of + [abstract plural noun]' (a marathon of paperwork, a marathon of meetings). The expression 'a marathon, not a sprint' is a fixed phrase contrasting long-term effort with quick results.