Marathon 490 B.C.

Today, a “marathon” is a long race—possibly of 26 miles or so but often different. Or it may be a long session of doing something—nearly anything. There are “movie marathons” and “shopping marathons” and many other kinds, all picking off a word that means “long distance” or “long term.” But originally the word was the name of a small Greek village and applied to the plain nearby—a plain noteworthy for being a good pla