มาราธอน

Explanation

This is a loanword from English “marathon.” Its basic meaning is a marathon race. Common combinations include วิ่งมาราธอน, “run a marathon,” and ลงแข่งมาราธอน, “enter a marathon.” Because the word can sometimes refer broadly to a race or long-distance run, more precise terms are used when distance matters, such as ฟูลมาราธอน for a full marathon and ฮาล์ฟมาราธอน for a half marathon. Placed after another noun, it can figuratively mean “lasting an exceptionally long time,” as in การประชุมมาราธอน, “a marathon meeting.” The pattern แบบมาราธอน describes doing something continuously for a long stretch, much like a marathon session.

Usage

It is common in conversations about running, race registration, training distances, and finishing a race. Figuratively, it appears in both everyday speech and news reports when meetings, negotiations, debates, viewing sessions, or similar activities continue for many hours.

Caution

มาราธอน alone does not always make clear whether the speaker means the official 42.195-kilometer race or a marathon event in a broader sense. Use a more specific term such as ฟูลมาราธอน when the exact category matters. Its figurative use is most natural for activities that truly last an unusually long time.

1 marathon synonyms

• วิ่งระยะไกล

  วิ่งระยะไกล broadly means long-distance running without specifying a particular event or distance. มาราธอน refers specifically to a marathon race or event; a full marathon is 42.195 kilometers.

2 marathon (lasting a very long time) synonyms

• ยืดเยื้อ

  ยืดเยื้อ describes something dragging on longer than necessary and often sounds negative. มาราธอน emphasizes exceptional duration and endurance without necessarily implying criticism.