Marathon Man

novel by Goldman

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July 21, 2026

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Marathon Man is a 1974 thriller novel by American author William Goldman. It was later adapted into a 1976 film of the same name. The novel is set in New York City and follows Thomas Levy, a graduate student who becomes entangled in a dangerous plot involving stolen diamonds and a fugitive Nazi dentist. The story explores themes of corruption, betrayal, and survival. Goldman also wrote a sequel to Marathon Man titled Brothers, published in 1986. The term "marathon" itself refers to a long-distance footrace, famously commemorating a Greek soldier's run from Marathon to Athens.12

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William Goldman
Morgenstern,” and Marathon Man (1974), a thriller that he adapted for the screen two years later. He also wrote one of his best screenplays, an adaptation of the Watergate exposé All the President’s Men (1976), which won him his second Academy Award.
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Morgenstern,” and Marathon Man (1974), a thriller that he adapted for the screen two years later. He also wrote one of his best screenplays, an adaptation of the Watergate exposé All the President’s Men (1976), which won him his second Academy Award.
Read More