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to run a marathon

to run a marathon

11 3.2
To take part in a long race on foot of about 26 miles
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : correr un maratón
  • I trained hard for months so I could run a marathon this year.

Can you imagine running a marathon without mile markers?

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Examples

  • I could probably run a marathon without ever training for it.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • I, along with a lot of other displaced runners, will be running a marathon this weekend in Richmond, Virginia.

    Blog text (1)
  • Like you can train and run a marathon in six weeks.

  • How the hell is running a marathon or setting a goal going to change my life?

  • But I would run a marathon for you.

  • When I run a marathon it's one step at a time.

  • So thinking long term is one thing that running a marathon teaches us.

  • November 10th is going to be a great day to run a marathon!

    Blog text (1)
  • I'll be thinking of you when I'm running a marathon this weekend.

    Blog text (5)
  • Years earlier, I trained for and ran a marathon because I had told myself that one day I'm going to run a marathon.

Antonyms

668 1.0

To stop doing a habit or activity like smoking

466 2.8

To stop taking part in a place or activity

How Far

to run a marathon
11 3.2
run
385 1.0

Surface Forms

run a marathon infinitive
run a marathon past participle
running a marathon present participle
runs a marathon third person singular

Morphology

run + a + marathon

The meaning 'to participate in a marathon race' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'run' (move rapidly on foot) with 'marathon' (a long-distance race); the article 'a' does not alter the compositional meaning. This is a straightforward event-descriptive construction common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will readily understand it.

Etymology

Run a marathon comes from an old Greek story about a messenger who ran from the town of Marathon to Athens to bring news. One popular story says that long run gave the name 'marathon', so today run a marathon means 'to take part in a very long running race'.